Thesis:

Investigating the effect of project-based learning in lesson planning on critical thinking and self-regulation skills of high school students

The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of project-based learning (PBL) in curriculum planning on critical thinking and self-regulation skills of high school students. The statistical population consisted of all 11th-grade experimental science students in public schools of Sabzevar during the academic year 2024–2025. A total of 30 students were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to two groups: experimental (n=15) and control (n=15). The experimental group was taught chemistry through project-based learning, while the control group received traditional instruction. The data collection tools included the standard California Critical Thinking Questionnaires by Fashion and Fashion (1993) and the self-regulation questionnaire by Bouffard et al. (1995), which were administered in two stages: pre-test and post-test. Data analysis was conducted using statistical tests including the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Levene’s test, and multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). Findings indicated that project-based learning had a significant effect on enhancing students’ critical thinking and self-regulation skills. In other words, students exposed to PBL showed remarkable improvement in analyzing and evaluating problems as well as managing their own learning process compared to the control group. These results highlight the potential of modern instructional approaches such as project-based learning to improve the quality of education and foster essential cognitive and self-regulatory skills in students.

Keywords: Keywords: Project-Based Learning, Curriculum Planning, Critical Thinking, Self-Regulation, High School Students.