This study investigated the use of project-based learning (PBL) in a high school chemistry classroom. PBL encourages the use of projects, which promote continual learning, rather than a summative project at the end of a unit after the learning has already been done. Along with implementing PBL, the study also incorporated many of the strategies included in the broader strategy known as Assessment for Learning (AfL), which stresses developing assessments that are part of the learning process rather than simply a measurement of the amount of learning that has occurred upon completion of a unit. The hypothesis of this research was that PBL would increase student comprehension and motivation as measured through pre and post-test data and a student survey. The new project-based unit required students to research and present the properties and structures of elements and how we use them. The expectation was that this approach would engage students with the material, the computer modeling would allow for more concrete visualization of structures and the project-based format would allow students to become more invested in their own learning. This study provided evidence to support the hypothesis that the implementation of project-based learning, supported by formative assessment and other assessment for learning strategies, will improve student comprehension and motivation in the secondary chemistry classroom.
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