Research on “Learning Through Experience in Elementary Education”

TOKA and Faculty of Education partnered to measure the impact of Experiential Learning Methods for Albanian language in eight different public schools in the municipality of Prishtina.

A pre and post impact study was conducted across 41 mixed classrooms with 856 fifth-grade students divided into two groups; Group A was trained in an experiential learning methodology for teaching the Albanian language and literature, while Group B was not. After an eight-week intervention, both students and teachers took pre and post-tests.

Results showed that students taught by trained pre-service teachers demonstrated a significant improvement in their attitude towards the Albanian language and faced fewer difficulties in the subject. There was no notable improvement in other subjects, suggesting that the benefits of the new teaching methodology were specific to the Albanian language course. Open-ended questions revealed that many students appreciated the new learning methods and felt more motivated and engaged. Conversely, while there was no significant pre-post difference among the pre-service teachers regarding self-efficacy, trained teachers did show a significant increase in perceived power during classroom hours. Feedback from these teachers highlighted their satisfaction with the experiential learning training and its positive impact on student engagement and class management.

In conclusion, experiential learning methodology appears to have a positive effect on fifth-grade students’ attitudes and difficulties regarding the Albanian language when taught by trained teachers.

To read the full depth study, please click on this link.