ENHANCING CREATIVE THINKING IN EFL INSTRUCTION THROUGH PROJECT-BASED LEARNING: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY
Keywords:
Project-Based Learning (PBL); creative thinking skills; EFL instruction; higher education; learner-centered pedagogy; innovative teaching methods; English language teachingAbstract
Developing creative thinking is a key objective in contemporary English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instruction, particularly in higher education. This study examines the effectiveness of Project-Based Learning (PBL) in enhancing creative thinking among EFL learners. A quasi-experimental design was employed with 48 first-year undergraduate students divided into experimental and control groups. The experimental group participated in a semester-long project-based intervention, while the control group received traditional instruction. Creative thinking was assessed through performance-based tasks focusing on originality, flexibility, elaboration, and language use. The results indicate that students exposed to Project-Based Learning demonstrated higher levels of creative thinking and greater engagement in meaningful language use than those taught through conventional methods. The findings suggest that PBL is an effective instructional approach for fostering creative thinking in EFL higher education contexts.
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