THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PROJECT-BASED LEARNING IN TEACHING STUDENTS’ WRITING ABILITY

Abstract

This research examines the effectiveness of project-based learning (PBL) in teaching descriptive writing to eighth-grade students at SMP N 23 Pontianak. The study aims to determine the efficacy of PBL and its impact on students’ writing skills. A pre-experimental design with a one-group pretest-posttest method was used, involving 27 students from class VIII H, selected through cluster random sampling. The results showed that the p-value was higher than the t-table value, leading to the acceptance of the alternative hypothesis (Ha) and the rejection of the null hypothesis (Ho). This indicates that PBL effectively enhances students’ writing skills. The effect size analysis yielded a score of 1.29, categorized as a strong effect level, further supporting the significant impact of PBL. In conclusion, PBL is effective in improving the writing skills of eighth-grade students at SMP N 23 Pontianak. It is recommended that educators incorporate PBL into their teaching methods to enhance students’ writing abilities.

Keywords: pre-experiment, project-based learning, writting skills.