Agent "Athena": Enabling Project-Based Learning in Resource-Constrained Greek Schools

Authors

  • Tassos Dimitriou University of Ioannina image/svg+xml Author
    • Conceptualization
    • Data Curation
    • Formal Analysis
    • Investigation
    • Methodology
    • Writing – Original Draft Preparation
    • Writing – Review & Editing

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17594404

Keywords:

pedagogical agents, project-based learning, under-resourced schools

Abstract

This study addresses the "Scaffolding Paradox" in the Greek educational system, where the implementation of resource-intensive Project-Based Learning (PBL) fails in under-resourced rural and island schools. The research investigated if a Pedagogical Agent (PA) with a culturally-relevant persona, "Athena," could provide the necessary scaffolding to bridge this gap. A 6-week, mixed-methods, quasi-experimental study was conducted with 42 5th-grade students from two resource-constrained schools. The Intervention Group (IG) used the "Athena" PA, while the Control Group (CG) received traditional PBL instruction. Quantitative analysis (ANCOVA) showed the IG produced significantly higher quality PBL products (p < .001) and reported significantly higher cognitive engagement (p = .003). Qualitative findings revealed students perceived "Athena" positively across the four key persona dimensions: "credible," "instructor-like," "engaging," and "person-like". The PA successfully managed the procedural workload, transforming the IG teacher’s role from a stressed manager to a pedagogical "facilitator", while the CG teacher reported "chaos". The study concludes that a well-designed PA can resolve the scaffolding paradox, making PBL viable in low-resource environments.

Author Biography

  • Tassos Dimitriou, University of Ioannina

    Tassos Dimitriou is a doctoral student in the Department of Primary Education at the University of Ioannina. He works in the field of project-based learning in primary schools. He is preparing his doctoral dissertation on project-based learning and pedagogical agent persona. He lives in Ioannina, Greece, and works as a primary teacher.

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Published

13.11.2025

Issue

Vol. 2025

Section

Research Articles

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Copyright (c) 2025 Tassos Dimitriou (Author)

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Dimitriou, T. (2025). Agent "Athena": Enabling Project-Based Learning in Resource-Constrained Greek Schools. The Primary Education Journal, 2025, 34-42. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17594404