The Impact of Project-based Learning and Direct Instruction on the Motivation and Engagement of Middle School Students

This quantitative study sought to compare the levels of motivation and engagement for middle school students before and after the implementation of both project-based learning and direct instruction. Student participants completed the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory [IMI] (Deci & Ryan, 2017) to assess their levels of motivation prior to and after instruction. In addition, engagement data was obtained utilizing the Student Engagement Walkthrough Checklist (SEWC) created by the International Center for Leadership in Education. Surveys were used to collect data from a sample of 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students in a rural southwestern Tennessee school district in the United States of America before and after project-based learning and direct instruction lessons. Data analyses revealed significant differences in motivation and engagement levels before and after (a) project-based learning and (b) direct instruction. Significant differences in motivation and engagement of students were also found between groups of students who had experienced project-based learning as compared to direct instruction