UAE Schools Shift to Project-Based Learning for Real-World Skills

A number of schools in the UAE are flying the flag for this worldwide trend that sees classroom teaching done away with in favor of project based learning that is a bid to prepare students for real life. This is due to the changes that are occurring for a revamp of education programs and changing the methods to enhance students for the next big challenge, eliminating rote learning, and separation of subjects.

At other place such as GEMS Legacy School in Dubai sustainability and climate action are incorporated in academia through project based learning cross-cutting all classes. As pointed out by the school’s principal, Asha Alexander, the troubles and events of the outside world come in the classroom thereby integrating Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry and English. For example, completing assignments related to decision-making in the field of food waste, students use analysis, data management, and presentation as a connection between subjects.

This has been common internationally with countries such as Greece embracing vocational training while Finland embracing project based learning. While many school continue to struggle with complete exam reform on individual subjects, most are incorporating inter-disciplinary strategies for creativity and problem solving into their teaching methodologies.

At the Citizens School in Dubai, students create business models across subject areas to come up with city bus tour routes and costs and marketing strategies. Also, schools in different states implement creative areas such as forest camps and biodomes like the Mamoura British Academy in Abu Dhabi for effective student practical learning.

Entreprenurial proponents of the project based learning contend that this offers the students the outfit they require to make sense of a world that is in a state of constant change while flipped classroom makes the students go and research on their own deepening their roles in the learning process.