THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF PROJECT-BASED LEARNING IN TEACHING NATURAL SCIENCES IN PRIMARY EDUCATION

This article comprehensively analyzes the theoretical foundations, psychological-pedagogical mechanisms, and practical implementation of project-based learning (PBL) in teaching natural sciences at the primary education stage in the Uzbek education system. Structured according to the IMRAD format, the research draws on the works of Uzbek scholars from 2020 onward (studies on the effectiveness of project methods in natural sciences teaching, interdisciplinary connections for developing ecological and research competencies, and research on interactive and practical activities). It details PBL's role in children's cognitive development, independent exploration of natural phenomena, fostering creative and critical thinking skills, and building the ability to solve real-life problems.The findings indicate that project-based learning serves as an effective tool for improving education quality, enhancing students' active participation, and strengthening ecological responsibility within Uzbekistan's education reforms for 2020–2030 (New Uzbekistan Development Strategy, National Program for School Education Development 2022–2026, Presidential Schools, developmental centers, and updates to national curricula). For instance, in the “Water Resources and Ecology” project, students learn the water cycle through experiments and address local ecological issues, potentially increasing their ecological literacy by up to 30%.The study recommends deeper integration of PBL in Uzbekistan's education system, including teacher professional development, creation of methodological guides, and resource optimization. Its novelty lies in the systematic synthesis of post-2020 Uzbek scholarly works, their integration into the history of pedagogical theory, and exploration of enhancing PBL through digital technologies and AI.

本文全面剖析了乌兹别克斯坦教育体系内小学阶段自然科学教学中项目式学习（Project-Based Learning，PBL）的理论基础、教育心理学机制与实践实施路径。本研究遵循IMRAD标准科研论文结构，依托2020年以来乌兹别克斯坦学者的相关研究成果展开，这些研究涵盖项目式教学法在自然科学教学中的有效性、培育生态与科研素养的跨学科关联，以及交互式实践活动相关研究。本文详细阐述了项目式学习在儿童认知发展、自然现象自主探究、创造性与批判性思维培育，以及现实问题解决能力养成方面的重要作用。研究结果表明，在乌兹别克斯坦2020-2030年教育改革框架内（含《新乌兹别克斯坦发展战略》《2022-2026年全国学校教育发展国家规划》、总统学校、发展中心及国家课程修订工作），项目式学习是提升教育质量、增强学生主动参与度、强化生态责任意识的有效手段。例如在“水资源与生态”项目中，学生通过实验学习水循环原理，并解决当地生态问题，其生态素养最高可提升30%。本研究建议在乌兹别克斯坦教育体系中进一步深化项目式学习的融入应用，具体包括教师专业能力培养、教学方法指南编制以及教学资源优化配置。本研究的创新之处在于系统整合了2020年后乌兹别克斯坦的相关学术成果，将其融入教育理论发展史，并探索了依托数字技术与人工智能（AI）优化项目式学习的路径。