UAE schools break from classrooms and move to project-based learning to teach real-life skills

Educators follow global trend of looking to reform traditional teaching models

Mamoura British Academy in Abu Dhabi has created a variety of modern learning environments for its pupils. All photos: Vidhyaa Chandramohan for The National

The school is part of the Aldar Academies group

The biodome has been installed to give pupils hands-on experience in agricultural science

The imaginative setting of the Fairytale Kingdom encourages schoolchildren to explore and develop their communication skills

The Heritage Village promotes national identity and allows pupils to explore the cultural heritage and traditions of their nation

Food for Thought is a dynamic learning environment that is the hub of the Farm to Fork programme

The library in school's Fairytale Kingdom

The Fairytale Kingdom is also a castle-themed space

'Our approach focuses on getting the children out of the classrooms and into these different spaces,' says Sarah Weaver, principal at Mamoura

Mamoura British Academy is only one example of a UAE school moving away from traditional classroom teaching and attempting to reform learning and properly prepare pupils for future life

Some UAE schools are moving away from the age-old model of traditional classrooms and subjects in a bid to reform education, revamp learning and properly prepare pupils for the future.

Considering it outdated by today's standards, they no longer want to mirror the system of separating subjects or having pupils sitting behind desks memorising what they have been taught.

Now, some UAE schools are ensuring children aged four-18 learn through working on projects, giving pupils industry experience through internships and using an interdisciplinary approach whereby subjects are combined.

The trend in the UAE follows a global movement. In Greece, for example, educators are working on transforming schools to focus on projects more intensively, adopt vocational training and integrate a new curriculum using artificial intelligence.

And, while Finland’s educational system is considered among the world's best, the country is struggling with the overdigitalisation of classrooms and working towards reform. Proposals include cutting mobile phone use to reduce disruption.

Interdisciplinary learning

At Gems Legacy School in Dubai, sustainability and climate action are taught through every subject in the curriculum. Asha Alexander, the school's principal, said the focus was on teaching pupils about different topics and how to solve real-world problems rather than restricting them to subject-based learning.

"We are not trying to teach subjects to children. It’s about taking what's happening around the world and bringing it into the class, and that becomes the curriculum," she said. “There are lots of things going on and we bring them into the classroom and then connect our physics, our maths, our chemistry and our English with what is going on around the world."

For example, pupils trying to solve a food-waste problem would use data management and analytical skills to create pie charts and graphs while also making presentations where they use their language skills.

The argument is that subject-based learning can be restrictive and problem-solving generally requires skill sets from a variety of specialisms, so a broader approach is more useful. This was touted by The HP Futures report, published in September.

"By combining subjects, we can help encourage pupils' creativity and allow them to work in new and innovative ways," said Vikas Pota, founder of T4 Education and the World’s Best School Prizes. “The majority of schools are still separating subjects but this is an intriguing new area for the classroom of the future and I expect that we'll see more schools investigating that, for sure."

There is, however, one key problem: exams. Schools can only modernise so far, Ms Alexander said, while boards stick to pupils being examined based on subjects to achieve their qualifications.

Breaking with tradition

Finland is famous for its innovative approach to education which includes little or no homework, no formal schooling until the age of seven and short school days.

The country has not abolished subjects but in 2016 shook up its core curriculum for basic education by introducing project-based learning, which meant children had to collaborate and work on topics. This was an attempt to teach children skills they could use later in life, while pupils were also encouraged to use technology for research.

In a similar move, Greek public schools are undergoing a major reform and will soon introduce project-based learning. The transformation will be implemented in the next four years and will revamp some school subjects with more focus on language and literature education. Pupils will be required to read a minimum of two books every year, not just excerpts.

In Dubai, pupils at Citizens School follow timetables, have a core curriculum and sit exams but also follow a project-based learning approach. Year five pupils at the school are currently working on a business model for an open-top city bus tour. They will chalk the route map, plan how to market it, work out the costs and estimate the profits.

“A lot of schools teach the content and then stop and the learner only knows the content they have to remember for exams," said David Lees, acting principal at Citizens School Dubai. "We're trying to not stop there but to get learners to investigate."

Taking learning outside the classroom

Head teachers in the Emirates are also breaking from tradition by moving children out of their classrooms, into more inspiring spaces. “Gone are the days where you have a set classroom, rigid desks and children sitting behind desks all day,” said Mr Lees.

Mamoura British Academy in Abu Dhabi has created different learning environments that include a fairy-tale kingdom, a castle-themed space designed for children in the early years to develop their communication skills, a cosy forest-themed indoor campsite where pupils can relax and brainstorm, and a biodome installed in the science department to give pupils hands-on experience on agricultural science.

“Our approach focuses on getting the children out of the classrooms and into these different spaces," said Sarah Weaver, principal at Mamoura British Academy.

"Although we have traditional classrooms, we encourage children to be outside the classroom as much as possible. We have the project-based learning approach, so everything is themed around areas of learning.”

Arjun Laligam, a 10-year-old Indian pupil at Mamoura British Academy, said learning in varied environments "makes it easier ... to feel more engaged".

Flipped classrooms

Some schools, such as Citizens School, are trying a 'flipped classroom' approach in which pupils are informed of what they will be taught in coming lessons and encouraged to go out and do their own research on the topics so they can come in with their own set of questions.

"The flipped classroom is a recognition that a lot of time in classrooms is spent inefficiently because a teacher recounts a lesson, whereas if the lesson has already been read beforehand, that creates opportunities for dialogue," said Manos Antoninis, director of the Global Education Monitoring Report hosted by Unesco.

What reform is needed?

The report published this month by HP Futures said education systems are due an overhaul and schools need to move away from traditional learning methods and adopt newer practices.

“I would say the biggest recommendation is to revamp curriculum so that we're redesigning schools for today," said Mayank Dhingra, senior education business leader at HP. “We have myriad careers popping up but we are unable to skill the student population at the pace and scale required."

Mr Pota said: "It goes to the subject of education reform being incredibly difficult to do. Education reform takes about 15 years, at least, to actually see whether something has worked. It takes effort and it takes investment."