CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS IN DEVELOPING CRITICAL THINKING VIA PROJECT-BASED ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING
Abstract
The main requirement of the modern educational process is to form independent thinking, analysis, evaluation and reasoning skills in students. Among such competencies, critical thinking is of particular importance, which is becoming an effective tool for both language teaching and expanding the scope of thinking in English lessons. Today, among many educational methods, Project-Based Learning (PBL) is considered one of the most innovative and effective methods for developing critical thinking. PBL involves students in practical research, experimentation, communication, problem solving and cooperation. However, a number of pedagogical, organizational, technological and psychological problems are observed when using this method in English language education.
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PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS OF SCIENTIFIC AND INNOVATIVE RESEARCH Volume 02, Issue 10, 2025 204 PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS OF SCIENTIFIC AND INNOVATIVE RESEARCH universalconference.us CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS IN DEVELOPING CRITICAL THINKING VIA PROJECT-BASED ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING Berdiyorova Shakhnoza Kholmakhammatovna Tashkent State University of Economics, English teacher [email protected] https://orcid.org/0009-0006-6587-5862 The main requirement of the modern educational process is to form independent thinking, analysis, evaluation and reasoning skills in students. Among such competencies, critical thinking is of particular importance, which is becoming an effective tool for both language teaching and expanding the scope of thinking in English lessons. Today, among many educational methods, Project-Based Learning (PBL) is considered one of the most innovative and effective methods for developing critical thinking. PBL involves students in practical research, experimentation, communication, problem solving and cooperation. However, a number of pedagogical, organizational, technological and psychological problems are observed when using this method in English language education. This thesis provides an in-depth analysis of the main difficulties in developing critical thinking in the PBL process, their causes and effective solutions. Many students have not sufficiently mastered such skills as independent observation, analysis, questioning, and comparing evidence in previous stages of education. As a result, they: have difficulty answering complex questions; are embarrassed to justify their opinions; participate passively in class; remain more in the role of an “observer” in group projects.[1] This hinders the main goal of PBL - the formation of an active and independent learner. PBL includes many complex methodological processes: drawing up a project plan, creating a problem situation, developing assessment criteria, and managing students' collaborative activities. To develop critical thinking, the teacher must: ask open questions; create analytical tasks; organize discussion and reflection processes; encourage students to make independent decisions.[2]
PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS OF SCIENTIFIC AND INNOVATIVE RESEARCH Volume 02, Issue 10, 2025 205 PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS OF SCIENTIFIC AND INNOVATIVE RESEARCH universalconference.us In practice, many teachers see PBL only as a “project assignment” and fail to apply critical thinking tools in depth. Project work often involves: access to the Internet; use of digital platforms; creation of multimedia materials; requires searching online databases.[3] This process is significantly more difficult in educational institutions with insufficient technical resources. As a result of students in the same group having different levels of English proficiency: higher-level students take on more work; lower-level students do not participate actively; critical thinking is not formed to the same extent; inequality occurs within the group. This contradicts the principles of cooperation and exchange of ideas of PBL. Project-based learning takes much more time than traditional lessons. The stages aimed at developing critical thinking (analysis, discussion, synthesis, presentation) require excessive effort from the teacher and students. Many teachers cannot fully implement PBL due to the pressure of the curriculum. In the process of developing critical thinking, it is important that the student: actively asks questions; suggests new ideas; independently searches; is not afraid of making mistakes.[4] However, many students are shy about expressing their opinions openly or are afraid of giving the wrong answer. This reduces the effectiveness of PBL. In conclusion, Project-based English teaching is one of the most effective pedagogical technologies for developing critical thinking. However, the effectiveness of the method depends on how it is organized, the motivation of students, the methodological skills of the teacher and technical capabilities. Difficulties encountered in the educational process - factors such as the low level of preparation of students, lack of resources, time constraints, and poor methodological knowledge of teachers - can be overcome through special strategies. REFERENCES 1. Abduqodirov, A. A. Pedagogik texnologiyalar va pedagogik mahorat. Toshkent: O‘qituvchi. 2020. 34
PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS OF SCIENTIFIC AND INNOVATIVE RESEARCH Volume 02, Issue 10, 2025 206 PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS OF SCIENTIFIC AND INNOVATIVE RESEARCH universalconference.us 2. G‘ulomov, A. A., & Azizov, O. Ingliz tilini o‘qitish metodikasi. Toshkent: Fan va texnologiya. 2021. C678 3. Yo‘ldoshev, J., & Usmonov, S. XXI asr kompetensiyalari va ta’lim jarayonini modernizatsiya qilish. Toshkent: Istiqlol nashriyoti. 2023. 345, 348b 4. Rahimov, B. Loyihaviy faoliyat metodikasi va uning ta’lim jarayonida qo‘llanilishi. Toshkent: Moliya nashriyoti. 2022. 456-b