PROJECT-BASED LEARNING: AN EFFORT TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENT AND PROBLEM SOLVING SKILL ON PEOPLE AND THE PLANET CHAPTER

An active and hands-on learning such as creating a project is touted as one of effective learning model that provides students with complex tasks based on challenging problems that involve students' problem solving skill. This research was investigated the effect of project-based learning (PjBL) as an effort to improve students’ achievement and problem solving skill on People and The Planet chapter. The method which is used in this research was weak experiment with one-group pretest-posttest design. The sample was taken purposively (n= 24 students)grade Secondary 1 in a Private International School. The quantitative data of this research was gained through objective test and essay test, while the qualitative data gathered through rubrics and questionnaire. Based on analysis of the result, this research obtained improvement in both students’ achievement and problem solving skill with normalized gain 0.46 and 0.38 respectively, those results categorized into medium improvement. The level of students’ problem solving skill is shifting, the dominant level that exists before the treatment was in the 1st level and changed into 2nd level in the end, it showed that PjBL can facilitate students to have higher level of problem solving skill. A visual organization of poster showed higher acquisition rather than knowledge aspect, it defined that most students tend to pay more attention in visual look than the concept itself. All of the results are supported with the response of students towards PjBL implementation which showed positive response in all indicators. This research indicated that PjBL model when it is implemented in People and The Planet chapter can improve students’ cognitive achievement and problem solving skill for secondary level. Key words: Project-based learning, cognitive achievement, problem solving skill, People and The Plane