Project-Based learning and students' critical thinking skills in History and political Education in selected secondaryy schools in Goma Division, Mukono District

Abstract

This study examined how project-based learning (PBL) fosters students’ critical thinking skills in History and Political Education in selected secondary schools in Goma Division, Mukono District. It was guided by three objectives: to establish how collaborative PBL activities enhance critical thinking; to assess how student autonomy in PBL fosters critical thinking; and to examine how real-world connections within PBL activities enhance critical thinking. A quantitative approach within the positivist paradigm was adopted, using a correlational research design. The target population comprised 10 secondary schools in Goma Division, from which four participated in the study. An accessible population of 440 Senior Three and Senior Four students was obtained, and a sample of 205 students was selected using the Krejcie and Morgan (1970) table. Stratified and simple random sampling ensured fair representation. Data was collected using a self-administered Likert-scale questionnaire and analyzed in IBM SPSS using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analysis. Findings revealed a positive and significant relationship between collaborative PBL activities and students’ critical thinking skills (r = 0.323, p < 0.001); student autonomy and critical thinking (r = 0.412, p < 0.001); and real-world connections and critical thinking (r = 0.609, p < 0.001). Overall, PBL practices were significantly related to students’ critical thinking skills (r = 0.540, p < 0.001), leading to rejection of all null hypotheses. The study concludes that PBL is an effective pedagogical approach for nurturing critical thinking in History and Political Education. It recommends integrating collaborative and autonomy-driven projects, strengthening real-world learning experiences, and enhancing competence-based, inquiry-oriented History instruction. Key words: Project-based learning, collaborative activities, student autonomy, real-world connections, critical thinking skills, History and Political Education, Mukono District.