An examination of the project-based learning approach in education in terms of core concepts: A document analysis and strategic development framework
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14527/edure.2025.10Keywords:
Project-based learning, Document analysis, Project management, Iinstructional designAbstract
This study proposes an evidence-based strategic implementation framework by integrating the theoretical foundations of project-based learning, contemporary design standards, and key managerial requirements that emerge in classroom practice through qualitative document analysis. Peer-reviewed meta-analyses, comprehensive literature reviews, foundational theoretical works, and institutional standards such as the PMI process groups and Gold Standard project-based learning were analyzed thematically. The findings indicate that the risk of reducing project-based learning to the level of isolated activities is closely related to the quality of design elements and instructional guidance. They also show that project management processes, including planning, monitoring, and closure, help reduce cognitive load while strengthening self-regulation and collaboration. In addition, assessment practices, stakeholder participation, digital equity, and ethical considerations emerge as critical parameters that determine implementation quality. By addressing instructional design and project management within a unified framework, the study offers practitioners measurable quality indicators and provides researchers with sets of propositions that can be empirically tested.
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