The Implementation of Problem-Based Learning to Improve Seventh-Grade Students’ Descriptive Text Writing Skill

Abstract

This classroom action research examined the effectiveness of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) in improving the descriptive-text writing skill of seventh-grade students and identified the factors contributing to that improvement. The participants were 32 students (16 male, 16 female) at SMP Negeri 2 Banguntapan Bantul, Indonesia. Data were collected across two cycles using writing tasks, tests, observation checklists, field notes, and interviews, and writing performance was scored with Brown's (2010) analytic writing rubric covering content, organization, vocabulary, language use, and mechanics. The mean writing score increased from58.88 in the pre-cycle test to 80.91 after the second cycle, and the proportion of students meeting the minimum mastery criterion (KKM = 72) rose accordingly. Qualitative data from observations, field notes, and interviews indicated that instructional materials grounded in students' real-life experiences, varied learning media, and collaborative classroom activities were the main factors supporting students' progress. The findings suggest that PBL is a promising strategy for teaching descriptive-text writing in junior high school; however, because the study used a single-group pre-test/post-test design without a comparison group or inferential statistical testing, the reported gains should be interpreted as preliminary evidence rather than confirmed causal effects.