Pre-Service Teachers’ Reflections on Child Development through Eco-Theological Project-Based Learning

This study explores how pre-service primary school teachers interpret child development through their reflections following participation in an eco-theological Project-Based Learning (PjBL) experience. An exploratory qualitative design with an interpretivist perspective was employed, involving 43 pre-service teachers. Data were collected through written reflections comprising 12 open-ended questions addressing participants’ learning experiences, observations of pupils, understandings of child development, and interpretations of the project experience. The reflections were analysed using inductive reflexive thematic analysis following the six-stage approach of Braun and Clarke. Four themes emerged from the analysis: (1) Multidimensional Understanding of Child Development, (2) PjBL as a Bridge between Theory and Practice, (3) Ecological, Social, Moral, and Spiritual Connectedness, and (4) Child-Centred Pedagogical Orientation. Participants’ reflections revealed understandings of child development that encompassed cognitive, social, emotional, physical, moral, and environmental dimensions. They also described project and observational experiences as providing opportunities to relate developmental theory to practical contexts. Ecological experiences were interpreted in connection with social responsibility, moral values, and spiritual meanings, while reflections on pupils’ behaviour demonstrated greater attention to individual characteristics, needs, and contextual explanations rather than immediate behavioural labelling. Overall, the findings illustrate how pre-service teachers make sense of child development and construct pedagogical meanings through reflection on eco-theological PjBL experiences. The findings represent participants’ interpretations of their experiences and should not be interpreted as evidence of causal changes in child development or as proof of the effectiveness of PjBL.

Primary School Teacher Trainees; Child Development; Project-Based Learning; Eco-Theological Education

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