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Stojanović, B. et al. (2023). Project-based learning in early childhood education in Serbia: First experiences of preschool
teachers, International Journal of Cognitive Research in Science, Engineering and Education (IJCRSEE), 11(2), 213-220.
Introduction
Educational trends have been constantly changing and developing primarily in accordance with
the results of new researches and information on children’s development. One of these trends refers
to designing a preschool curriculum which is based on the idea that children learn through practical,
signicant experiences which are focused on their interests. Accordingly, in the Republic of Serbia, since
2019, the implementation of the New Basics of the Preschool Curriculum, called “Years of Ascent“ has
started. The new curriculum has started to be implemented in a successive manner as of September 1,
2019, with the intention to make its implementation mandatory as of 2023, for all preschool institutions
(Years of Ascent: The Basics of the Preschool Education Curriculum, 2019). The concept of the Basics of
Curriculum “Years of Ascent“ is based on the integrated approach to learning through which, by means of
relations and actions, the welfare of a child is supported. In the implementation of the integrated approach,
according to which various learning situations in authentic preschool contexts pervaded by contents from
different elds, the project-based learning has a signicant role. Project-based learning is a form of learning
based on constructivist approach according to which children construct new knowledge by upgrading
the existing knowledge and experience through social interactions. In relation to this, four fundamental
pillars essential for project-based learning can be identied from the corpus of constructivist elements
and guidelines: a) basically, construction of knowledge begins with the leading investigative question; b)
children’s investigation is based on decisions and choices, with the support of their teacher (preschool
teacher); v) collaborative work and communication are dominant; g) projects should be authentic – aimed
at real life problem solving (Ristanović, Stojanović and Živković, 2018; Lev, Klark and Starki, 2022; Shah
and Kumar, 2019).
The main value of project-based learning reects in the fact that it enables children to investigate
and engage in personally meaningful situations, in which they relate their previous and new experiences
in a creative way. Instead of guiding children to nd the fastest and most successful solution, the aim of the
project is to enable them to search for the authentic solution through personally meaningful investigative
Project-Based Learning in Early Childhood Education in Serbia: First
Experiences of Preschool Teachers
Biljana J. Stojanović
1
* , Dušan Ristanović
1
, Predrag Živković
1
, Mirsada Džaferović
2
1
Faculty of Education Jagodina, University of Kragujevac, Serbia
e-mail: biljanastojanovic23@yahoo.com; dusan.ristanovic@pefja.kg.ac.rs; predrag.zivkovic@pefja.kg.ac.rs;
2
Preschool Teacher Training College of Applied Studies in Kikinda, Serbia
e-mail: dzaferovic.021@gmail.com
Abstract: The aim of the research was to examine the attitude of preschool teachers towards the implementation of
project-based learning within the system of preschool education in the Republic of Serbia, with a special emphasis on the
identication of its advantages and disadvantages. The research sample comprised 410 preschool teachers from 9 cities in
Serbia. The ndings showed that preschool teachers have a moderately positive attitude towards the benets of the project-based
learning for children and preschool teachers (M=4). The respondents also agree with all the statements from the questionnaire
which relate to the difculties in implementation of the project-based learning approach. A statistically signicant difference
among preschool teachers in relation to the academic level and length of work experience, occured only in case of one item,
which is related to the lack of didactic materials (p=0,008; p=0.02).
Keywords: project-based learning approach, preschool age, preschool teacher.
Original scientic paper
Received: June, 07, 2023.
Revised: July, 30.2023.
Accepted: August, 07.2023.
UDC:
37.091.12:005.962.131(497.11)
10.23947/2334-8496-2023-11-2-213-220
© 2023 by the authors. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the
Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
*
Corresponding author: biljanastojanovic23@yahoo.com
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Stojanović, B. et al. (2023). Project-based learning in early childhood education in Serbia: First experiences of preschool
teachers, International Journal of Cognitive Research in Science, Engineering and Education (IJCRSEE), 11(2), 213-220.
activities. In this process, the preschool teacher provides support to children and facilitates the learning
process itself (Evtimov and Petrović, 2021).
In the project-based learning approach, children learn through collaboration with their peers
and adults, contribute and inuence their own learning as active and competent participants and they
learn through taking part in the local community and experiencing themselves as valuable community
members. In this approach, children make choices while investigating, enjoy the investigation, take the
initiative and experience learning as a meaningful, creative, relevant process, building trust in their own
investigative abilities and developing strategies how to investigate something, accept other children, the
preschool teacher and other adults as their co-participants and co-investigators, participating together
with the adults in the joint investigation, getting positive feedback related to their personal and cultural
diversity from the local community members (Krnjaja and Pavlović Breneselović, 2022; Lev, Klark and
Starki, 2022). The project-based approach enables creation of the atmosphere in which the children’s
needs, wishes and emotions are respected, children feel comfortable and productively take part in the
learning process. Positive emotions such as curiosity, enthusiasm and joy promote the learning process
and make it more successful (Stojanović, Cirkovic-Miladinovic and Milovanovic, 2021).
Review of the literature dealing with the project-based learning approach shows that it can be
applied to all educational levels (Katz and Chard, 2000; Rinaldi, 2006; Petrović and Hoti, 2020) and that it
contributes to long-term academic and social development of children, that children learn through project-
based activities memorize content longer and have deeper understanding of what they learn (Beneke and
Ostrosky, 2015; Harris-Helm and Katz, 2011). It has been established that this approach provides a set of
cognitively appropriate activities which set to motion a new curriculum and discussion about the learning
and teaching process. Since the focus is on the learning process, planning and creation of activities
have not been anticipated. Project can promote and reect cohesion of the curriculum and its integration
through school subjects and/or developmental domains (Marshall, 2017; Vengopal, 2016).
Other studies also present benets of the project-based learning approach. Research results
showed that the project-based learning has a positive inuence on children’s social skills, problem solving,
investigation and interaction and that it promotes collaboration among children (Beneke and Ostrosky,
2015; Farida and Rasyid, 2018; Sumarni, Putri and Andika, 2022).
In addition to the perceived benets of a project-based approach to learning, some researchers
(Holen, 2000; McPhee, 2002) have identied problems for students working with this model. They also
indicate that issues associated with group work including dynamics, personality conicts and conformity
have limited the effectiveness of some groups in problem solving. Dahlgren and Dahlgren (2002) found
out that this approach prevented some students’ ability to deal with the problem itself, which led to
the conclusion that taking part in the project-based learning approach does not have to be a positive
experience for all students. Eden (2000) had a similar experience, since the ndings showed that some
students were actually anxious, instead of being engaged and excited, due to the open and exible nature
of the project-based learning approach. However, as any approach, the project-based approach shall
probably bring about some problems and frustrations, along with the benets for its participants (Edwards,
and Hammer, 2007).
Considering advantages as well as the difculties in implementation of the project-based learning
approach, this paper deals with surveying preschool teacher’s opinion on their rst experiences in the
implementation of the New Basics of the Curriculum and Project-based Learning Approach, as an integral
part of the Curriculum.
Materials and Methods
Research aim
The research aim is to explore previous experience and attitudes of preschool teachers in reference
to the implementation of the project-based learning approach, with a special emphasis on the benets and
difculties in the process of implementation of this model.
Sample
The research was conducted in preschool institutions in 9 towns in central Serbia: Aranđelovac,
Brus, Ćuprija, Jagodina, Kragujevac, Kovin, Petrovac na Mlavi, Zaječar, Beograd. The research sample
consisted of 410 preschool teachers in total. The respondents, preschool teachers, differ in terms of the
level of their academic education (two-year Higher school for vocational studies for preschool teachers,
three-year College of vocational studies for preschool teachers, four-year bachelor academic studies
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Stojanović, B. et al. (2023). Project-based learning in early childhood education in Serbia: First experiences of preschool
teachers, International Journal of Cognitive Research in Science, Engineering and Education (IJCRSEE), 11(2), 213-220.
and master academic studies), and according to the length of their working experience. Considering the
successive implementation of the New Basics of Preschool Curriculum in preschool institutions, preschool
teachers have different experiences in the implementation of the project-based learning approach.
Instruments
For the purpose of this research, a Questionnaire was created and used for collection of data
on the opinion of preschool teachers about the implementation of the project-based learning approach.
The Questionnaire consists of 16 questions of different types: close-ended and open-ended questions
and two ve-point Likert-type scale questions (Strongly disagree, Disagree, Undecided, Agree, Strongly
agree) regarding the statements provided.
Cronbach’s Alpha reliability coefcient measuring internal consistency on this scale is 0.912, thus
we can come to a conclusion that the internal consistency of the scale is satisfactory and that the scale
has satisfactory reliability.
Procedure
The data regarding experience and opinion of preschool teachers about the project-based learning
approach was collected in the period October-December 2022. Preschool teachers were given the
Questionnaire and provided with the explanation regarding the research aims and they were asked to
answer the Questionnaire questions.
Analysis Procedures
Data processing included descriptive statistics methods (frequency, mean value), as well as
analytical statistics methods for the statistical evaluation of statistically signicant difference.
Results and Discussion
In order to establish the preschool teachers’ attitude towards the advantages of the project-based
learning approach that children benet from, rstly, on the basis of their grades in certain category, an
average grade was calculated (Table 1).
Table 1.
Advantages of project-based learning children benet from
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Stojanović, B. et al. (2023). Project-based learning in early childhood education in Serbia: First experiences of preschool
teachers, International Journal of Cognitive Research in Science, Engineering and Education (IJCRSEE), 11(2), 213-220.
Based on the results obtained, we can see that in all benets categories of the project-based learning
approach, preschool teachers said that they have a moderately positive attitude, since the Median value
is Md=4 for all items, i.e. majority of preschool teachers said that they ”mostly agree” with the provided
statements. Such attitudes of preschool teachers were expected, since the benets regarding advantages
of the project-based learning approach have already been a common knowledge. Results of many studies
conrm the benets stated in this questionnaire (Evtimov and Petrović, 2021; Farida and Rasyid, 2018;
Lev, Klark and Starki, 2022; Vengopal, 2016). A difference of opinion of preschool teachers in relation to
academic education and work experience length (calculated using the Kruskal-Wallis test) was not found,
since the p values for all items were p>0,05.
The next objective of this research was to examine the opinion of preschool teachers about the
advantages of project-based learning approach that preschool teachers can benet from (Table 2).
Table 2.
Advantages of project-based learning approach that preschool teachers can benet from
The results are identical as for the previous question. Majority of respondents has moderately
positive attitude towards the benets of the project-based learning approach for the preschool teachers.
In case of one statement only, “A preschool teacher develops a strong partnership with children, families,
colleagues and wider community“, it was interesting to notice that the attitude of preschool teachers
was extremely positive –“Strongly agree“. This indicates that preschool teachers extremely value a good
relationship and quality communication with all participants of the educational process in a preschool
institution, thus this advantage of the project-based learning approach was highlighted as the most
important one and it is considered to be the most signicant advantage in their opinion. Various authors
have been drawing our attention to this particular aspect of the project-based learning approach (Farida
and Rasyid, 2019; Lev, Klark and Starki, 2022; Sumarni, Putri and Andika, 2022; Krnjaja and Pavlović
Breneselović, 2022), thus pointing out that this approach enables a child to build and promote interaction,
communication, cooperation and development of the feeling of care and empathy towards their friends. It
is similar when it comes to the preschool teachers who have the opportunity, during the process of planning
and implementing their projects, to cooperate with their colleagues, children’s parents and members of
the local community. Statisticaly signicant differences among the respondents in relation to their level of
education or work experience length were not found in this question either.
In this research, our intention was to examine, besides the advantages of the project-based
learning approach, the difculties and problems the preschool teachers encounter during the project
implementation. The results have been presented in Table 3.
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Stojanović, B. et al. (2023). Project-based learning in early childhood education in Serbia: First experiences of preschool
teachers, International Journal of Cognitive Research in Science, Engineering and Education (IJCRSEE), 11(2), 213-220.
Table 3.
Problems and limitations of the project-based learning approach
Majority of preschool teachers expressed a moderate attitude (“Agree“) in relation to the statements
referring to difculties such as: insufcient knowledge on the project-based learning approach, insufcient
didactic materials for the project implementation, children’s age as one of the issues (especially in cases
of project implementation involving younger children), having problems in the process of monitoring and
recording project results, parents and members of the local community showing lack of motivation to
participate actively in planning and implementation of the project activities. A special emphasis should be
put on the fact that in case of the statement “Vague instructions for project planning and implementation“,
preschool teachers had a neutral attitude Md=3, i.e. “Indecisive“. Such attitude can be explained by the fact
that the implementation of the New Basics of the Curriculum and Project-based Learning Approach was
conducted successively, thus not all respondents had the equal opportunity to spend the same amount of
time on the implementation of the project-based learning approach in the immediate educational practice.
Accordingly, they cannot assess to what extent the instructions they get are signicant and clear. At this
point, we should question the motivation of preschool teachers themselves for the implementation of the
project-based learning approach. The results of the research conducted by Deci and Rian (2000), the
motivation of those working in the eld of education for the implementation of the project-based learning
approach should actually be considered. They claim that educators often implement projects because
they have been “forced“ to do so and that most likely they will not take part in this process with joy and
enthusiasm; they shell simply carry out orders in order to meet the project requirements. The aim of
educational institutions, however, should be further development through the participants who actually
implement the projects, i.e. preschool teachers (Vojáčková, 2020). Unfortunately, our research does
not offer the opportunity to examine this important aspect of work, which is the motivation of preschool
teachers to implement this learning model.
Considering the opinion of preschool teachers about the problems and difculties during the
implementation of the project-based learning approach, in relation to the educational level variable, in
case of most statements, no statistically signicant differences were noticed, except for one statement,
which is “Insufcient materials for the implementation of the project-based learning approach“. Namely,
the value p=0,044, measured using the Kruskal-Wallis test, showed a statistically signicant difference,
yet not showing clearly in comparison of which groups this statistically signicant difference occurred,
which led to conducting a subsequent Mann-Whitney Test (Table 4).