Beyond the Classroom Walls: How Project-Based Learning Transforms Secondary Students into Tomorrow's Entrepreneurs

Domitila A.D.; Edgardo Y.S.; Pérez A.; Graciela C. · Journal of Educational and Social Research (2026) · DOI: 10.36941/jesr-2026-0303

Resumen

This study examined the effectiveness of project-based learning (PBL) in developing entrepreneurial competencies among secondary education students in Peru. A quantitative, nonexperimental, cross-sectional design was employed with 234 students from three public educational institutions in the Morrope district. Data were collected via validated instruments: the Project-Based Learning Questionnaire for Students (CABP-E), which has 27 items across seven dimensions, and the Entrepreneurial Competency Questionnaire (CCE), which has 19 items across four dimensions. Both instruments demonstrated excellent internal consistency (α = 0.974 and α = 0.969, respectively). The results revealed that 65.4% of the students perceived medium-level PBL implementation, whereas 64.5% demonstrated medium-level entrepreneurial competencies. Spearman correlation analysis revealed a strong positive and statistically significant relationship between PBL and entrepreneurial competencies (rho = 0.785, p < 0.001), explaining approximately 61.6% of the variance. Dimensional analysis identified technological resources as the most critical limitation, with 58.1% of the students reporting low levels and no students reporting high levels. The study confirms that PBL is an effective pedagogical strategy for developing entrepreneurial competencies in secondary education, even under resource-constrained conditions. The findings suggest that methodological coherence can compensate for infrastructural deficiencies, providing empirical evidence for early entrepreneurial education interventions at the secondary level.

Instituciones: Universidad César Vallejo