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Cited by 97Problem and Project Based LearningMathematics Education and PedagogySTEM Education

Fostering twenty-first century skills among primary school students through math project-based learning

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Rehman, Nadia, Zhang, Wenlan, Mahmood, Amir, Fareed, Muhammad Zeeshan, Batool, Samia·2023·Humanities and Social Sciences Communications
DOI 10.1057/s41599-023-01914-5
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Abstract

In today’s modern world, students must be equipped with twenty-first century skills, particularly those related to solving real-life problems, to ensure competitiveness in the current global economy. The present study employed project-based learning (PBL) as an instructional tool for teaching math at the primary level. A convergent mixed-methods approach was adopted to determine whether the PBL approach has improved students’ twenty-first century skills, including collaborative, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills. Thirty-five students of the experimental group were treated with PBL, while 35 students of the control were treated with the traditional teaching method. ANCOVA test for “critical thinking skills” showed a significant difference between the experimental and control group ( F = 104.833, p = 0.000 < 0.05). For collaborative skills, results also showed a significant difference between the two groups ( F = 32.335, p = 0.000 < 0.05). For problem-solving skills, the mean value of experimental (25.54) and control group (16.94) showed a high difference after the intervention. The t -value (8.284) and the p value ( p = 0.000) also showed a highly significant difference. Observations of the classroom also revealed the favorable effects of employing PBL. PBL activities boosted the level of collaboration and problem-solving skills among students. Students could advance their collaboration abilities, including promoting one another’s viewpoints, speaking out when necessary, listening to one another, and participating in thoughtful discussions. During the PBL project, students’ active participation and effective collaboration were observed, significantly contributing to its success.

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  • Research confirms that PBL significantly enhances students' problem-solving skills, knowledge transfer, and mathematical application abilities.

    “At the cognitive level, research confirms that PBL significantly enhances students’ problem-solving skills, knowledge transfer, and mathematical application abilities (Saparbayeva et al., 2025; Rehman et al., 2023; Alenezi, 2023).”

    From Can project-based learning improve students’ mathematics learning outcomes: a three-level meta-analysis (2026) · cites this paper as Rehman et al., 2023

    The Results report a statistically significant post-intervention difference in math problem-solving scores favoring the PBL group. The Methodology says test questions assessed students’ ability to apply mathematical concepts to real-world scenarios, but the paper does not report a separate significant improvement in mathematical application abilities or demonstrate improved knowledge transfer. The study concerns primary-school math students, rather than students generally. (LLM, conf=0.87)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Collaborative teamwork lies at the core of PBL, as students work collectively to tackle authentic real-world mathematical problems.

    “Collaborative teamwork lies at the core of PBL, as students work collectively to tackle authentic real-world mathematical problems (Rehman et al., 2023).”

    From Can project-based learning improve students’ mathematics learning outcomes: a three-level meta-analysis (2026) · cites this paper as Rehman et al., 2023

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Authors
Rehman, N., Zhang, W., Mahmood, A., Fareed, M. Z., & Batool, S.
Affiliations
  • Shaanxi Normal University (CN)
  • Xi'an Jiaotong University (CN)
  • Sichuan University (CN)
Corresponding author
Rehman, Nadia
ORCID
Venue
Humanities and Social Sciences Communications
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2023-07-18
Volume
10
Issue
1
ISSN
  • 2055-1045 (ISSN-L)
  • 2662-9992
DOI
10.1057/s41599-023-01914-5
OpenAlex
W4384664964
Cited by
97
References
59
Citations by year
2026: 34 · 2025: 39 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 7
FWCI
71.76
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Education › Problem and Project Based Learning
  • Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Applied Mathematics › Mathematics Education and Pedagogy
  • Social Sciences › Education › STEM Education
Keywords
21st century skills, project-based learning, mathematics education, elementary school students, teamwork skills, problem-solving skills, critical thinking skills, real-world problem solving

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