An exploration of project management learning in Australian primary schools

An exploration of project management learning in Australian primary schools

Teachers in primary education have been utilising projects to deliver instructional content for over a century. As projects become increasingly complex, so too does the ability to manage them successfully. The project management discipline is uniquely positioned to provide the knowledge and skills to manage projects successfully. However, it is focused on the education and training of adults, not young children. To understand more about project management teaching in primary education, research was undertaken that resulted in three published articles. The first article presented a scoping literature review on teaching project management to primary school children. In the second article, seventeen project management experts utilised the Delphi method to gain consensus on the core components required for children to manage small and simple projects. In the third article, reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse, interpret, and present the perspectives of thirteen Australian primary school teachers on children learning about project management. The findings from the first article revealed that while elements of project management are being taught in primary education, they do not constitute a holistic view of the knowledge and skills required for a child to manage a project successfully. The findings from the second article revealed that while children can and should learn about project management early in school, some skills are more important and difficult to learn than others. In the third article, the findings revealed that while teachers have a positive view of children learning project management, they also face issues inside and outside the classroom that impact their ability to teach project management effectively. Finally, the article presented several suggestions for improving ways of teaching project management, principally through the introduction of a simple but flexible project management learning framework. This research has implications for children in school, at home, in the community, and in their future working lives since projects are so pervasive throughout society. The interdisciplinary nature of the topic highlights the need for collaboration between the fields of project management and education to design, develop, and deliver comprehensive project management learning for young children. To succeed in the 21st century, children should learn project management holistically and as early as possible. It is hoped that this thesis and subsequent research on the topic will have a positive impact on the lives of children by teaching them how to manage their current and future projects more successfully.

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