The effect of project-based learning (PjBL) Class Model on Chinese undergraduates’ argumentative writing performance

This study aims to investigate the effect of the Project-based Learning (PjBL) Class Model on Chinese undergraduates’ argumentative writing performance. A mixed-methods approach was employed to attain the main objective of the study. It included 50 non-English major students in the control group (25) and experimental group (25) from a Chinese University. The experimental group participants were taught argumentative writing under the PjBL Class Model, while the control group used conventional Presentation, Practice, Production (PPP) Class Model. After a six-week teaching experiment, semi-structured interviews with nine students of different majors from the experimental class were conducted to investigate the PjBL Class Model’s influence on argumentative writing and its acceptability. SPSS analysis of pre- and post-tests revealed that the overall writing scores and sub-scores in terms of idea expression, text organization, language use, and writing strategies had been raised significantly. Interview findings showed that students had a strong perception and acceptance of the PjBL Class Model for learning argumentative writing, and compared to the conventional teaching model, it significantly boosted their interest in the subject.

本研究旨在探究基于项目的学习（Project-based Learning, PjBL）课堂模式对中国大学生议论文写作表现的影响。本研究采用混合研究方法以达成核心研究目标，招募国内某高校的50名非英语专业学生作为研究对象，其中对照组与实验组各25人。实验组学生采用基于项目的学习课堂模式开展议论文写作教学，对照组则采用传统的演示-练习-产出（Presentation, Practice, Production, PPP）课堂教学模式。为期六周的教学实验结束后，本研究对实验班中9名不同专业的学生开展半结构化访谈，以探究基于项目的学习课堂模式对议论文写作的影响及其可接受程度。对前后测数据的SPSS分析结果显示，学生的写作总分及思想表达、文本组织、语言运用、写作策略四个分项得分均得到显著提升。访谈结果表明，学生对基于项目的学习课堂模式应用于议论文写作学习持有较高的认可度与接受度；相较于传统教学模式，该模式显著提升了学生对该课程的学习兴趣。