Theoretical Framework

c. Principles of Project-Based Learning

According to Sumarni (2013:480), there are some principles of Project-Based Learning.

1) The students work together in groups and collaborate on project activities. The increases in the students’ collaborative abilities, characterized with the existence of cooperation among the students in groups or in pairs.

2) A real world problem that affects the life of the students is presented for investigation. The learning is designed to help the students develop their thinking skill, problem solving skill, and intellectual skill. The students are given a chance to think and create.

3) The students discuss findings and consult the teacher for guidance, input, and feedback.

4) Artifacts production and exhibition, in which the students are required to make a particular product in form of real work or modeling which is then demonstrated to other friends.

5) The maturity level of the students’ skills determines the degree of guidance provided by the teacher.

6) Final products resulting from PBL can be shared with the community-at- large, thus fostering ownership and responsible citizenship in addressing real world problems.

Based on the principles of PBL above, it can be said that activity that will be done by the students based on the researchers’ instruction is working collaboratively, learning how to solve the problem, sharing ideas and making a project.

d. Procedure of the Project-Based Learning

As other methods have, PBL has a procedure to carry out the project in the teaching-learning process. It functions as a project framework to help the teacher to guide the students developing the project. Generally, PBL has some steps such as Planning, Creating, and Processing. Nonetheless, the procedure of the project development proposed by Harun (2006:22) and also by The George Lucas Educational Foundation (2005) has the similarity. It seems to be the most comprehensive procedure and therefore the implementation of PBL in the research employed this procedure. It is explained as follows.

1) Start with the Essential Question The question that will launch a Project-based Learning lesson must be one that will engage students. It is greater than the task at hand. It is open-ended; t ake a real-world topic and begin an in-depth, question is based on situations or topics that are investigation authentic, make students feel that they are making an impact by answering the question or solving the problem, make the question relevant for students.

2) Design a Plan for the Project When designing the project, it is essential to select content standards to be addressed. Involve students in the planning process. Students feel ownership

of the project when they have an active role in deciding activities. Base on the curriculum, select activities that support the question. Know what materials and resources to be made accessible to students. Be prepared to delve deeper into new topics and issues as students become more involved in pursuit of answers.

3) Create a Schedule Design a timeline for project components. Realize that changes to the schedule will happen. Be flexible, but help students realize that a time will come when they need to finalize their thoughts, findings, and evaluations. Allow students to go in new directions. Guide them when they appear to be going in a direction that has no connection to the project. Help students to stay on course but don’t accidentally set limitations .

4) Monitor the Students and the Project Progress Facilitate the process and inculcate love for learning. Teach students how to work collaboratively. Designate fluid roles for group members. Let students 4) Monitor the Students and the Project Progress Facilitate the process and inculcate love for learning. Teach students how to work collaboratively. Designate fluid roles for group members. Let students

5) Assess the Outcome Assessment provides diagnostic feedback and helps educators set standards. It allows one to evaluate progress and to relate that progress to others. It gives students feedback on how well they understand the information and what they need to improve on. Assessment also helps teachers design instruction to teach more effectively. Whenever possible, allow self- assessment among students. If student’s and teacher’s assessment contradicts, a student-teacher conference to justify learning outcomes should

be held.

6) Evaluate the Experience In the busy schedule of a school day, there is often little time for reflection.

Yet, reflection is a very important part of the learning process. Set a time for reflection of daily activities. Allow individual reflection, such as journaling, as well as group reflection and discussion. Share feelings and experiences, and discuss what worked well and what needs change. Share ideas that will lead to new questions, thus new projects.

To make it clear, the researcher makes a figure of the procedure for implementing Project-Based Learning.

6 Evaluate the Experience

5 Assess the Outcome

4 Monitor the Students and the Project

Progress

3 Create a Schedule

2 Design a Plan for the Project

1 Start with the Essential Question

Figure 1: Procedure of PBL

In addition, according to Stix and Hrbek (2006:166), there are nine steps of implementing Project-Based Learning such as below.

1) Sets the stage for students with real-life samples of the projects they will be doing.

2) Students take on the role of project designers, possibly establishing a forum for display or competition.

3) Students discuss and accumulate the background information needed for their designs.

4) The teacher and students negotiate the criteria for evaluating the projects.

5) Students accumulate the materials necessary for the project.

6) Students create their projects.

7) Students prepare to present their projects.

8) Students present their projects.

9) Students reflect on the process and evaluate the projects based on the criteria established.

Based on the procedures of the implementation of Project-Based Learning, to conduct the research in the field the researcher had arranged the procedure into a modified procedure of implementing Project-Based Learning in the teaching-learning process.

1. The researcher introduced the topic of teaching material to the students is “Descriptive Text”.

2. The researcher explained the definition of descriptive text.

3. The researcher explained how to write the example of descriptive text through Project-Based Learning.

4. The researcher asked the students to identify the identification and description of descriptive text.

5. The researcher gave an essential question “what is the characteristic of descriptive text?” based on the topic.

6. The researcher designed a plan for the project by asking the students to form a group and gave the instruction about the project that will be created.

7. The researcher gave time for the students to discuss and accumulate the background information of the project.

8. The researcher and the students created a schedule by discussing the allotted time to do and submit the project.

9. The researcher asks the students created their project by sticking such pictures and writing description of an idol in a book sheet.

10. The researcher monitored and observes the students project.

11. The researcher asked each group to presents their project.

12. The researcher assessed the outcome after the students’ final products are presented by using formative strategies to keep project on authentic product.

13. The researcher gave the information about the value of the students’ project.

14. The researcher asked the students individually to write a descriptive text based on their experience of making project and learning material to be evaluated.

e. The Advantages and Disadvantages of the Implementation of PBL

Project-Based Learning has several advantages, particularly when it is conducted in the context of learning English as a foreign language. Sumarni (2013:480) provides some advantages and disadvantages of implementing Project- Based Learning in the English teaching and learning process. The advantages of project-based learning:

1) PBL increases students’ learning motivation.

2) PBL increases students’ academic achievement.

3) PBL increases cooperation/collaboration ability.

4) PBL increases the ability to communicate.

5) PBL increases students’ skill in managing learning resources (improve library research skill).

6) PBL creates fun learning.

7) PBL increases students’ attitudes toward learning.

8) PBL increases students’ creativity.

9) PBL lowers students’ anxiety level in the learning process.

10) PBL increases problem solving ability.

11) PBL increases resource management skills. The advantages of Project-Based Learning also stated by Boss et al (2015:2), as follows.

1) It motivates students.

2) It prepares students for college, careers, and citizenship.

3) It helps students meet standards and do well on tests that ask students to demonstrate in-depth knowledge and thinking skills.

4) It allows teachers to teach in a more satisfying way.

5) It provides schools and districts with new ways to communicate and to connect with parents, communities, and the wider world.

The disadvantages of Project-Based Learning:

1) PBL requires a lot of time that must be provided to solve complex problems.

2) Many parents of students who feel aggrieved, because it adds to the cost of entering the new system.

3) Many instructors/teachers feel comfortable with traditional classroom, where the instructor/ teacher plays a central role in the classroom.

4) Applying Project-Based Learning in the classroom may be intimidating for some experienced teachers and will be even worse for beginners.

5) The amount of equipment to be provided, so that the demand for electricity increases.

6) Students who are not experienced with working in groups may have difficulty in negotiation and compromise.

7) When the topic given to each group is different, it is feared that students cannot understand the topic entirely

8) For a self-assessment survey, the data may have been influenced by a slight inconsistency.

9) Lack of student interest in the subject, including methods of teaching.

f. Roles of the Teacher in PBL

At any class, a teacher must play his common roles in the English classroom such as a controller, a prompter, a participant, a resource and so forth. According to Levy (1997) in Fragoulis (2009:114), “Effective project-based learning requires the teacher to assume a different role”. It is also supported by Papandreou (1994) in Fragoulis (2009:114), “The teacher’s role is not dominant, but he/she acts as a guide, advisor, coordinator and facilitator”. It can be said that in implementing Project- Based Learning, the focal point of the learning process moves from the teacher to the students, from working alone to working in groups. However, in a PBL classroom the researcher must play other roles.

1) In the pre-project development, the researcher must be a negotiator for deciding the topics, the sequence of activities during the project development, the group formation, the length of the project development and its rules.

2) During the project development, he must be ready to be a main resource of ideas, an advisor and a helper of the students to solve problems that may occur.

3) In the post-project development, he must be an organizer of the students’ end products, an evaluator of the project as well as its process and a commentator of

what they have achieved. It can be concluded that the roles of the researcher in implementing Project- Based Learning are as a guide, advisor, coordinator and facilitator.

g. Relationship between Project-Based Learning and Writing

Writing is an important skill to be mastered by the students. For mastering writing, the students must study hard and always practice their writing by write something to be conveyed for the readers. There are so many methods or ways that can be used to increase the students’ ability in writing. One of those ways is through Project-Based Learning. According to Thitivesa (2014: 286), “Project-Based Learning (PBL) is described as an instructional approach that lends itself to the integration of language and content-learning objectives”. The approach contextualizes learning by presenting the students with products to develop, or problems to solve. For teaching writing, the students can be taught through Project-Based Learning. Thitivesa (2014:286) asserts that via Project-Based Learning, writing embedded in natural settings that can help to create increased levels of language cognition– attention to topic organization, awareness rising on linguistic features, vocabulary and word choice, genre principles, and sentence formation for a variety of purposes are processed all at the same time.

The variety of coordinated effort employed during writing process allows the students to develop their abilities by interacting and communicating in authentic or simulated situations. Therefore, the students’ writing ability can be increased through PBL because they are involved in doing a project, working in group, sharing with another friends and getting an experience from that. Based on their experience, the students will able to inform or even make a description in written language related to the project that they have made.

In summary, Project-Based Learning has a very close relationship in increasing the students’ writing ability. It makes teaching and learning process of writing more creative and the students can learn in interesting way.