The Role of Documentation in Organizing Educational Projects in Grades I–III

Abstract

Understanding the teaching and learning process as a means of developing competences necessary for personal fulfillment and growth, active citizenship, social integration, and employment—in line with the Council of Europe Recommendation of 22 May 2018—highlights the importance of the educational project as a method that aids the development of key competences in children. The aim of the research discussed in this article was to determine the role of documentation in the organization of an educational project involving children from grades I–III. Given the need to improve the documentation process, the study sought to describe the issue and derive practical guidelines. The study, conducted under a qualitative paradigm, examined students’ opinions regarding the preparation of educational project documentation. The analysis and interpretation of statements by students of preschool and early school education at the Ignatianum University in Cracow, carried out in accordance with Maria Szymańska’s concept of three-layer data analysis became the starting point for demonstrating the advantages of solid documentation. The respondents emphasized the importance of documentation in organizing an educational project, identified the benefits of a well-conducted documentation process, and highlighted the need to plan both the method of collecting documentation and its analysis. The role of documentation in organizing an educational project is therefore crucial, as it facilitates monitoring of the project’s individual stages and enables teachers, children, and parents to perceive the competences acquired by children through project activities.