Integration of project-based approach in primary school lessons: a creativity-oriented experience

Abstract

This study empirically examines the impact of integrating a project-based approach into primary school lessons on the development of students’ creative abilities. The main aim of the research was to determine the effect of project-based learning on creative indicators in young learners, such as originality, flexibility, number of ideas, and elaboration. The study employed a quasi-experimental design involving 52 students (experimental and control groups). Over six weeks, the experimental group received specially designed project tasks during lessons. Data were collected in a pre-test and post-test format and analyzed using SPSS software. The results indicated that the project-based approach significantly enhanced creative abilities: growth across all indicators was statistically significant at p < 0.001, and Cohen’s d effect size confirmed a high impact.

Moreover, students’ learning motivation also increased significantly, with a moderate-to-high correlation observed between creativity and motivation (r = 0.57). Overall, the findings suggest that the project-based approach is a highly effective pedagogical method for fostering creativity, cognitive engagement, and learning motivation in primary education.