contextualizes their real life. A project-based learning lesson provides them with the opportunity to learn in an authentic, challenging, multidisciplinary
environment, to learn how to design, carry out, and evaluate a project that requires sustained effort over a significant period of time, to learn to work with minimal
external guidance, both individually and in groups, to gain in self-reliance and personal accountability. It emphasizes learning that can be derived from long-term
activities, which are interdisciplinary, student-centered, and integrated with real world issues and practices. Learning then is becoming fruitful for the students and
can also be highly motivated.
B. Identification of the Problem
Based on the observation, the researcher found that the problems related to the writing learning process came from many factors. Those factors were the
students, the learning activities, and the media used by the teacher. The first factor was related to the students. The students had low
motivation in learning English. Most of them had difficulties in the writing process. They faced difficulties in choosing the appropriate words. They also had
difficulty in grammar and mechanics. Most of them translated word by word in producing a text. And their writing was still Indonesian-English. It made them
have low motivation to write in English. The class was dominated by the active students during the teaching
learning process and the rest of them were passive. The passive students did not have confidence to participate in the classroom activity. They only listened to the
teacher’s explanation without having chance to interact to their teacher. They also
would answer the questions if the teacher pointed one of them to answer. If not, they were just silent. In fact, some of them did not pay attention to the teacher’s
explanation. They just talked to their friends and even drew something on their notebooks.
The next factor was related to the learning activities. The students did not get a lot of chances to write. There was rarely writing activity which can
encourage and motivate students to write. Writing skill was less taken into consideration in the teaching and learning process than other skills. Most of the
time the teacher asked the students to read certain texts and answer the questions instead of asking them to produce a text. It made the students feel that writing
skill seemed not very important. In addition, there were no fun activities during the teaching learning process. The class was monotone. It made the students easily
felt bored and had low motivation to learn English. The teacher did not provide a sufficient opportunity for the students to
experience learning writing. The teacher used most of the time to explain the materials without providing activities which could encourage them to learn. The
process of writing seemed to be neglected and the teacher also did not teach them steps of writing i.e. planning, drafting, revising, and editing. She also did not use
any interesting media to support the teaching and learning process and it made the students bored.
Then, the materials used in the teaching learning process were also limited. The teaching learning process seemed to be book-oriented. The teacher
only followed the tasks and activities that are available in the book. Since the
students learnt a mixed-ability classroom, they have to be exposed to the task that could meet their different needs of learning. Some activities and task have not
been provided for them. The inputs, the task procedures, and the task product expected were designed in the equal level for all students.
C. Delimitation of the Problem
From the explanation in the background and identification of the problems above, there were many factors influencing students’ writing ability. It
was impossible for the researcher to solve all problems. Therefore, the problem of the research was only limited to how to improve students’ writing skills by using
project-based learning. The researcher and the teacher chose that action since the students had limited experiences in producing the text and also had low
motivation in learning writing, if they are given a project that was relevant to their level, the students would be highly motivated, felt actively involved in their own
learning, and produced complex, high-quality work. Hence, engaging the students to do some stages in creating a text was an essential thing to improve their ability
in writing a text. Their writing ability could be improved trough project-based learning because it created positive communication and collaborative relationships
among diverse groups of students, met the needs of learners with varying skill levels and learning styles, and engaged and motivated bored or indifferent
students so that students’ writing ability would increase.
D. Formulation of the Problem
From the delimitation of the problem above, the problem of this study could be formulated into the following question “How can the writing skill of
Grade VIII Students of SMPN 11 Magelang be improved by project-based learning?”
E. Objective of the Study
From the background, the identification, and the delimitation of the problems above, the objective of this study was to improve the writing skill of
grade VIII students of SMPN 11 Magelang through project-based learning.
F. Significance of the Study
The result of this study was expected to bring two kinds of significance in teaching and learning English i.e. theoretical significance and practical
significance. Theoretically, the result of the research could be useful to other researchers who want to conduct the same theme, i.e. improving the writing skill.
Besides, it would give a clear description on the implementation of using project- based learning in teaching writing.
Practically, the result of the research was expected to bring some benefits for the English teacher, the students, and the researcher. For the English teachers,
the result of this research could be used as a reference in order to improve the writing learning process. For the students, it could be useful for them to improve
their learning and ability of writing. For the researcher herself, she got the clear description of the implementation of improving the writing learning process
using project-based learning.
