Student’s Personal and Professional Project:

Produced by Salimata Coulibaly

Master MS3

Chapitre 1 Introduction

Personal project

According to Thomas & Stoller (project-Based Learning) , personal projects are “student-
centered instruction that occurs over an extended time period, during which students select,
plan, investigate and produce a product, presentation, or performance that answers a real-
world question or responds to an authentic challenge”.

Personal mean “belonging to or affecting a particular person rather than anyone else and
project is an individual or collaborative enterprise that is carefully planned to achieve a
particular aim” combined meaning: student personal project is a planned and self-directed
task undertaken by a student that is meaningful or important to them personally. (Oxford
English dictionary).

It is defines according to Cambridge Dictionary as “a planned piece of work that reflects

their own interests or goal and is completed over time.”

Professional project:

Barrett(2007), defines professional project as “the demonstration of student’s ability to

integrate academic knowledge, practical skills, and professional standards in the creation of a
product or service that addresses a real-world need.” Which mean that professional projects
are a means for students to showcase competencies relevant to their future careers.

Student’s professional project is a form of experimental learning where students apply

classroom knowledge in real or simulated professional setting. Kolb (1984).

The writer name is Salimata Coulibaly, she was born on May the fourth in nineteen ninety
nine in Sévaré, and she is Malian and single, living in Bamako precisely in Garantibougou.
She is a student at ENsup (Ecole Normal Superieur), English department master level. As
student she has competencies in the four skills but sometime have difficulties when it’s comes
to listen to some native it’s very difficult to understand them. She is a bachelor holder in
English, and a diploma of IFM. She is social and extroverted as strengths she is flexible and
has this ability of problem solving. Her weaknesses are laziness and procrastination. The
writer personal project is the training she is doing currently at ENsup in order to bring in life
her ambition which is to become a great and renowned English teacher in the future.

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 The activity the writer wants to do in her professional life is teaching English in high
school because in life everybody looks to go forward. The fact that she did IFM, she could
enjoy only to this level but she knew that in coming day she will be obliged to pursue her
studies because teaching in fundamental school was not in my project. Only teaching in high
school or who knows being a university teacher.

Hypothesis:

 At the end of this study, the result will show that the writer will be a great English
teacher.
 The outcomes will show that she can one day be a university teacher.

Chapitre 2 : Literature Review

Little, B.R. (1983). Personal projects analysis: Trivial pursuits, magnificent obsessions and
search for coherence. He suggests that students’ personal projects are not just academic tasks
but expressions of identity, purpose, and future, and goals. These meaning and coherence
students attach to these projects influence their motivation, resilience, and emotional
engagement.

Zimmerman,B.J., & Schunk, D.H. (2001). Self regulated learning and academic achievement:
theoretical perspectives (2nd edition.). He works on Self-Regulated Learning frames
students’professional and academic projects as contexts for developing planning, monitoring,
and reflective skills (forethought, performance, self-reflection) directly applies when students
plan personal goals, perform tasks, and reflect on outcomes, reinforcing both personal growth
and project success.

Barrett, H.C. (2007). Researching electronic portfolios and learner engagement: The
REFLECT initiative. Journal of Adolescent & Adult literacy, 436-449. She focused on the
role of e-portfolios in supporting students’ personal and professional development. She
believed that when students manage their own learning portfolios, they become more self-
directed, reflective, and professional prepared.

Leijing,R. (2012). The apprentice Researcher: Using Undergraduate Researchers’ Personal

Essays to shape instruction and services. Portal: Libraries and the Academy, 13(1), 37-59.

Kolb, D.A.(1984). Experimental learning: Experience as the source of learning and

development. Provides a strong framework for understanding how students transform
experience into knowledge. Kolb(1934) defines learning as a four-stage cycle: concrete
experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation.

Rosales Jr, J. J., & Sulaiman, F. (2016). Students ‘personal interest towards project-based
learning. PIJSS,2(1), 214-227. His work shows that personal interest and practical challenges
increase learning effectiveness and help students develop real-world skills.

Gibbs ‘Reflective cycle (1988) provides a structure for reflection that helps students analyze
personal experiences and improve future practice. Provides a model for guiding students

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through personal and professional experiences. His six stages framework (Description-
Feelings-Evaluation-Analysis-Conclusion-Action Plan) enables critical reflection, helping
students assess what they learned and how to apply it in future contexts. Each stage of Gibbs
‘Reflective cycle connects with students’ personal and professional projects.

Chapitre 3 : Methodology
Research Design: This study uses a qualitative research to explore the experiences and
perceptions of teachers as they develop their teaching skills and professional identity. This
approach allows for a deep understanding of personal reflections and real classroom practices.

Population:

Population is the entire group of individuals, events, or objects having a common observable
characteristic. (Fraenkel,Wallen,& Hyun, 2015). In this research the target population is all
Bougouni high school teachers.

Sample:

According to (Cohen,Manion,& Morison, 2018).A sample is a subset of individuals selected

from a larger population for the purpose of conducting a study .It represents the individuals
selected from the broader population. In Bougouni, we have 5 high schools and among those
schools 2 high schools(Lycée Kalilou Fofana de Bougouni and Lycée Michel allaire) were
selected to conduct the research.

Sampling technique:

Sampling techniques are the procedures used to select a subset of the population to
participate in a research study. (Kothari, 2004). To select our participants, we have used
Random sampling, where everyone in the population has an equal chance of being selected
for the sample .It is use to avoid bias.

Data Collection:

Interviews: It was conducted individually with each participant, and the questions were the
following:

What were their motivations for choosing teaching, the challenges they faced during the
practice, and their intent on professional growth. Each interview lasted 30minutes and was
video- recorded.

Observation: Non-participant observations were made during the sessions.” It is a method

where observer does not become part of the situation being observed and instead observe
from a distance without interacting.” Kumar(2011). The researcher took note on teaching
strategies, student engagement, and classroom management techniques.

Document Analysis: Appropriate documents were collected:

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Lesson plans. Journals or forum on teaching, books and report from mentors.

Chapitre 4 : Expected Results

The research affirms that the writer can be a good high school English teacher referring to
collected document and her own commitment.

Chapitre 5 : Conclusion
Summary: This qualitative study explored the personal and professional development of the
writer, who wants to become a teacher. With the interview, classroom observation and
document analysis of lesson plan, those tools provide deep insights of the challenges,
motivations, and other processes involves in becoming an educator. The findings revealed that
students’ professional goals were closely linked to personal projects.

Recommendations:

 Student’s personal project must be link to their professional one.



Budget: The things the writer need.

Materials Number Price

Motorcycle(KTM 01 410,000fcfa
)
Oil(motorcycle) 1 barrel 500,000fcfa
Food 200,000fcfa
Documents 05 50,000fcfa
Total 1,160,000
Timeline:

Activity Beginning End

Introduction January 2026 Mars 2026
Literature Review Mars2026 June 2026
Methodology June 2026 August 2026
Result/ Analyses August 2026 October 2026
Conclusion November 2026 January 2027

References:

Barrett, H.C. (2007). Researching electronic portfolios and learner engagement: The
REFLECT initiative. Journal of Adolescent & Adult literacy, 436-449.

Gibbs’Reflective cycle(1988)

Kolb, D.A.(1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and

development.

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Little, B.R. (1983). Personal projects analysis: Trivial pursuits, magnificent obsessions and
search for coherence.

Leiding,R. (2012). The apprentice Researcher: Using Undergraduate Researchers’ Personal

Essays to shape instruction and services. Portal: Libraries and the Academy, 13(1), 37-59.

Whalley,J., Imbulpitiya, A., Clear, T., & Ogier,H. (2024). From student to working
professional: A graduate survey.

Zimmerman,B.J., & Schunk, D.H. (2001). Self regulated learning and academic achievement:
theoretical perspectives (2nd edition.). Lawrence Erlbaum

Appendix/Appendices:

Appendix A: Background

In the background the writer tried to give her personal information, set her personal project
and what is her professional project.

Appendix B: Literature Review

This part of the research concerned the sources she got information to do the job.

Appendix C: Methodology

The methodology concerned a clear explanation of your population; the persons whom her
study fit then draw the sample among this population to conduct the research, and choose the
technique which will better fit her study.

Appendix D: Budget

Budget is a draw chart in 3 columns with specific information about what the writer will need
during the project.

Glossary:

Academic Knowledge: refers to the formal, structured knowledge through study, research,
and teaching in educational institutions like schools, colleges, and universities.

Showcase: To demonstrate the value, skills, or achievements of something or someone.

Bachelor holder: Is someone who has successfully completed a bachelor’s degree from a
college or university.

Procrastination: The act of putting off or delaying or deferring an action to a later time.

Renown: The state or quality of being widely honored and acclaimed.

Resilience: Is the ability to recover quickly from difficulties, stress, or setbacks and keep
going despite challenges.

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Forethought: Planning or plotting in advance of acting.

Experiential learning: Learning through experience, often involving active participation,

reflection, and application of knowledge ( based on Kolb’s theory)

Self-Regulated Learning: A learning process where students take control of their learning by
setting goals, monitoring progress, and reflecting on outcomes.

Lesson Plan: A detailed guide created by a teacher to outline the structure and content of a
lesson, including objectives, materials, and teaching strategies.

Index:

To bring in life someone ambition: To achieve someone’s dream.