The Construction of Knowledge Base in Project-Based Learning Research ——A Cite Space Visualization Study
Abstract
The Opinions on Comprehensively Deepening Curriculum Reform to Fulfill the Fundamental Task of Strengthening Moral Education issued by the Ministry of Education in 2015 explicitly identified Project-Based Learning (PBL) as a pivotal approach for cultivating core competencies, leading to its widespread pilot implementation in primary and secondary schools with expanding influence. Examining the intellectual foundations of PBL research in China contributes to a deeper understanding of its theoretical and practical dimensions. Using Cite Space to analyze 156 PBL-related articles from the CSSCI database reveals that the knowledge base is primarily constructed from two domains:1.Theoretical foundation—Cited authors and literature focus on PBL's conceptual framework and value, encompassing interdisciplinary PBL, core competency development, and educational objectives； 2.Empirical studies—Key references emphasize case studies across K-12 education, general high schools, and tertiary education. In the future, project-based learning should delve into exploring the connotation and value of project-based learning from a dual-subject comprehensive perspective, conduct case studies on project-based learning in vocational education, and promote interdisciplinary integration of core competencies through project-based learning.
References
Kilpatrick W, 1918, The Project Method. Teachers College Record, 19(4): 1–5.
Dewey J, 1926, My Pedagogic Creed. Journal of Education, 104(21): 542.
Krajcik J, Blumenfeld P, 2006, Project-Based Learning. The Cambridge Handbook of the Learning Sciences: 317–333.
Blumenfeld P, Soloway E, Marx R W, Krajcik J, Guzdial M, Palincsar A, 1991, Motivating Project-Based Learning: Sustaining the Doing, Supporting the Learning. Educational Psychologist, 26(3–4): 369–398.
Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, 2022, Compulsory Education Curriculum Plan (2022 Edition). Beijing Normal University Press.
Zhang W, Li M, 2023, The Connotation and Effectiveness of Project-Based Learning Based on Systematic Literature Review. e-Education Research, 44(2): 121–128.
Zhang W, Zhang S, Lin J, et al., 2016, Design and Practice of Project-Based Learning Based on Curriculum Reconstruction Concept in Network Environment. e-Education Research, 37(2): 38–45 + 53.
Zhang W, Su R, 2021, How to Implement Project-Based Learning in Rural Small-Scale Schools: Case Analysis and Implications Under the Concept of Place-Based Education. China Educational Technology, 2021(4): 35–44.
Su Q, Zhang W, Wang H, et al., 2022, Project-Based Learning in IT Curriculum for Cultivating High School Students’ Computational Thinking. e-Education Research, 43(8): 109–115 + 122.
Xia X, 2022, Interdisciplinary Project-Based Learning: Connotation, Design Logic and Practice Prototype. Curriculum, Teaching Material and Method, 42(10): 78–84.
Xia X, 2019, How to Design Project-Based Learning in the Era of Key Competencies. Jiangsu Education, 2019(22): 7–11.
Guo H, 2018, The Pedagogical Significance of Project-Based Learning. Educational Science Research, 2018(1): 25–31.
Yang M, 2021, Project-Based Learning in the Era of Core Competencies: Connotation Remodeling and Value Reconstruction. Curriculum, Teaching Material and Method, 41(2): 57–63.
Zhang W, Hu J, 2019, Has the Learning Effect of Project-Based Learning Occurred? A Meta-Analysis Based on 46 Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Studies. e-Education Research, 40(2): 95–104.
Chen Y, Chen C, Hu Z, et al., 2014, Principles and Applications of Citation Space Analysis. Science Press, 2014: 75–85.
Wang L, Hu J, Xu M, et al., 2023, Chlorine-Containing Disinfectants Project. Beijing Normal University Chemical Education Institute & Beijing Fengtai No.2 High School.
Hu H, 2017, Project-Based Learning: Classroom Teaching Activities for Cultivating Students’ Core Competencies. Journal of Lanzhou University (Social Sciences), 45(6): 165–172.
Wang H, Wang W, 2022, Innovate and Share: Exploration of the Construction Path of “Virtual Teaching and Research Room for Project-Based College English Teaching Model Reform”. Foreign Language World, 2022(4): 8–15.
Xia X, 2018, Discipline Project-Based Learning Design: Integrating Subject Literacy and Interdisciplinary Literacy. People’s Education, 2018(1): 61–66.
Dong Y, Sun W, 2019, Generative Project-Based Learning (DoPBL) Model for Promoting Interdisciplinary Learning: An Integrated Perspective of Problem-Based PBL and Project-Based PBL. Journal of Distance Education, 37(2): 81–89.
State Council of China, 2025, Education Power Construction Outline (2024–2035). People’s Daily, 2025:(6).
Buck Institute for Education, 2007, Project Based Learning Teacher’s Guide: Middle School Teaching Methods for 21st Century. Educational Science Publishing House.
