Identifying the Dimensions and Components of a Project-Based Curriculum in the Blended Education System of the Second Cycle of Primary School

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the dimensions and components of a project-based curriculum within the blended education system of the second cycle of primary school. This qualitative study was conducted using the grounded theory approach. Participants included experts in curriculum studies, primary education, educational technology, blended learning, and project-based learning, as well as educational administrators, curriculum specialists, and experienced primary school teachers. Participants were initially selected through purposive sampling, followed by theoretical sampling based on the emerging analytical categories. Data collection continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. Exploratory semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data. With participants’ informed consent, all interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed concurrently with the data collection process. Data analysis was conducted through open, axial, and selective coding using the constant comparative method. Credibility was enhanced through participant review, expert examination of the coding process, analytic memo writing, systematic documentation of analytical decisions, and repeated comparison of the emerging categories with the original interview data. The analysis identified “context-responsive project-based learning” as the core category, integrating authentic learning, flexibility, and constructivist principles. The need to develop twenty-first-century competencies, the gap between traditional schooling and real life, and the advancement of educational technologies emerged as the principal causal conditions. The major strategies included designing multidimensional and interdisciplinary projects, using authentic and simulated learning environments, redefining the teacher’s role as a designer and facilitator of learning experiences, and implementing process-oriented assessment. Digital technologies, flexible learning spaces, and interdisciplinary collaboration acted as facilitating conditions, whereas teacher resistance, insufficient school resources, unequal access to technology, and centralized assessment systems were identified as major barriers. The consequences included the development of life skills, deeper and more durable learning, a reduced gap between school and society, and improved professional competencies among teachers. Effective implementation of a blended project-based curriculum requires coherent alignment among context-responsive projects, educational technologies, teachers’ facilitative roles, formative assessment, and institutional support.