PETALING JAYA: The Sungai Way Chinese Primary School has been chosen as the first school in the country to implement a pioneering project-based learning programme to assess the competence of students.
The school’s headmistress, Lee Kim Moi, said the 12-week special project, which kicked off on March 21 this year at the school, was being conducted at the initiative of the Special Innovation Unit (UNIK) under the Prime Minister’s Department.
A project-based learning programme, among other things, encourages the use of in-depth and rigorous classroom projects to facilitate learning and assess student competence.
Students use technology and inquiry to respond to a complex issue, problem or challenge.
The project focuses on student-centred inquiry and group learning, with the teacher acting as a facilitator.
“I am very grateful that UNIK has chosen SJK(C) Sungai Way for this pioneering project.
So far, 41 pupils chosen at random from Year Five and Year Six of the school have benefited from the project, which is part of our extra-curricular activities.
I regard this as yet another form of recognition for the school after the prime minister’s maiden visit (to the school) recently,” Lee told Bernama in an interview at the school near here yesterday.
Lee said the students had already successfully completed two complex tasks under the programme, conducted every Wednesday for about one-and-a-half hours.
“In the first project, the students were given materials, such as eggs, sponges, newspapers, straws and plastic bags, and asked to ensure that the eggs did not break when dropped; then, in their second task, they were asked to make a towel using spaghetti sticks.
The tasks involve the students’ problem-solving, decision-making and investigative skills as a whole.
They have to draft their own procedures in carrying out the tasks,” said Lee, who has served as headmistress for almost seven years. — Bernama