Improving Students’ Speaking Skill By Implementing Problem Based Learning (PBL) (An Action Research at the Seventh Grade Students of SMP Negeri 1 Jiken in the Academic Year 2012/2013)

Oleh :
Eva Rosalina - X2211020 - Fak. KIP

This research is a classroom action research. The objectives of this research are to find out whether the use of Problem Based Learning can improve students‟ speaking skill and to describe the classroom situation when Problem Based Learning is applied to teach speaking in the English class of the seventh grade of SMP Negeri 1 Jiken. This research was carried out in 7 C class of SMP N 1 Jiken. The procedures of the research consist of planning, action, observation, and reflection. In this research, the writer was the practitioner who implemented Problem-based Learning in teaching learning process. The data are in form of qualitative and quantitative data. The quantitative data are taken from the test conducted before and after the actions are implemented. The qualitative data are taken from the result of observation done by the observer while the actions are being carried out. In this research, the writer found that the implementation of Problem-based Learning can improve students‟ speaking skill. The improvement can be seen from accuracy and fluency aspect. Accuracy aspect covers grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary aspect. Before conducting the research, the students have difficulties in those aspects, but after conducting the research the students show the improvement. The improvement covers: 1) the students‟ difficulty in using grammar decreased; 2) the students‟ difficulty in pronouncing the English words decreased; 3) the students‟ vocabulary mastery increased; and 4) the students‟ speaking fluency improved. The improvements could be seen on students‟ performance during teaching and learning process. The result of this research showed that by implementing Problem-based Learning had improvement score from pre- test, post- test I and post- test II. The mean score in pre- test was 49.17 and post- test I was 65.53. While in the post- test II, the score increased up to 75.61. Thus, the result of the research shows that the implementation of Problem-based Learning can improve students‟ speaking skill. The classroom situation also improved when PBL implemented in class VII C and the improvements are: 1) the classroom situation was more conducive; 2) the students‟ participation and concentration towards the lesson were increasing and the students‟ participated actively in the activities during the lesson; 3) the students were more confidents to speak up in front of the class; 4) the students became more active in speaking class because they worked together with their friends to solve the problem. Keywords: Speaking Skill, Problem-based Learning