




































50 

 ELT FORUM 3 (1) (2014) 

 

Journal of English Language Teaching 
 

http://journal.unnes.ac.id/sju/index.php/elt 

 

 

THE USE OF PROBLEM BASED LEARNING TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’ 

SPEAKING ABILITY 

 

Siti Khotimah   
 

English Department, Faculty of Languages and Arts, State University of Semarang, Indonesia 

 

Article Info 

________________ 
Article History: 

Received in April 2014 

Approved in Mei 2014 

Published in Juni 2014 

________________ 
Keywords: 

Problem based learning, 

speaking ability, 

achievement, action research. 

____________________ 

Abstract
 

___________________________________________________________________ 

Senior high school students are expected to have a good speaking skill, meanwhile their ability to 

speak English is very low especially in term of fluency. Therefore, teachers need an alternative method 

to teach speaking skill that is called Problem based Learning. The objective of this study is to know 

the application of problem based learning as teaching method in improving students’ speaking ability 

and students’ achievement in speaking English. The action research was carried out in some steps. 

Those steps were pre-elimination test, conducting the cycles starting with planning, acting, 

observing, reflecting, and post-test. As data collection instruments, I used observation sheets, 

questionnaire, interview, and self and peer assessment of the students. The implementation of this 

method was reflected in the classroom activity, students self and peer assessment, questionnaire, 

interview, and observation sheets.  The result of the study showed that there were significant 

improvements of students’ speaking ability after being taught by problem based learning. They also 

enjoyed the activities in class by having a discussion, sharing, and cooperation with their friends. In 

addition, the students gave positive opinion, response, and interest toward the implementation of 

problem based learning method. Therefore, the students’ speaking ability was increased. Based on 

the result above, it can be concluded that this method gave positive contribution to the improvement 

of the students’ speaking ability. This method is beneficial to help the students to learn to speak 

English in more enjoyable way. 

 

© 2014 Universitas Negeri Semarang 

 
 Correspondent Address:  

   B3 Building,  FBS Unnes  

   Sekaran, Gunungpati, Semarang, 50229 

   E-mail: khotimhasiti17@gmail.com 

 

ISSN 2252-6706 



 

Siti Khotimah / Journal of English Language Teaching 3 (1) (2014) 

51 

INTRODUCTION 

 

Speaking is one of the four skills that 

should be mastered beside listening, reading and 

writing. Speaking has an important role in daily 

life that is to convey someone’s mind directly. It 

influences someone’s performance in many 

aspects, such as social, politic, bussiness and 

education. A good presentation comes from a 

good presenter who can speak effectively in front 

of many people.  

Making students speak English is a difficult 

job for English teachers. It needs a long process 

of practice and learning. Students of foreign 

language learners see that their native language is 

completely different from English while an 

opportunity to learn English and practice it in 

their real life is very limited in time and space. 

Therefore, they need more practice to speak 

English.  

Considering the importance of speaking 

skill, the Indonesian government states that 

students should master this skill fully, not only 

the theory of speaking itself but also the practice.  

The latest curriculum, curriculum of 2013, 

recommends the use of scientific approach  in its 

teaching learning process. Furthermore, it 

suggests the application of teaching methods such 

as project based learning, Problem Based 

Learning, and discovery learning.  These new 

methods are much different from the common 

method used before. These methods emphasize 

on the process of learning, not the outcome of it. 

The center of teaching learning itself is the 

students not a teacher anymore. 

One of the methods offered by 2013 

curriculum is Problem Based Learning. Yew 

(2009:11) states that Problem Based Learning is a 

learning approach that seeks to create a learning 

environment where students learn in the context 

of meaningful problems, actively constructing 

mental models in the process, coconstructing 

ideas with peers in a collaborative fashion and 

developing self-directed learning skills in the 

process. Thus, PBL brings together four fairly 

new insights into learning, namely that learning 

can be considered a constructive, self-directed, 

collaborative, and contextual activity. 

Another source mentions that Problem-

based learning (PBL) is focused experiential 

learning organized around the investigation and 

resolution of messy, real-world problems (IMSA 

2008:1). Based on the definitions above, we can 

conclude that Problem Based Learning is a 

method using problems as an approach to train 

the students to think critically when they face a 

problem. Besides, this method also teaches them 

how to work in a group. 

Therefore, the writer is challenged to find 

out whether Problem Based-Learning method 

can be one of the alternatives to improve students’ 

speaking ability or not. I hope this study will help 

the teacher as a tutor and educator to improve 

their students’ ability in their speaking skill. 

 

LITERATURE REVIEW 

 

Related to the definition of speaking, 

(Brown, 1994; Burns & Joyce, 1997) in Florez 

(1999:1) say that “speaking is an interactive 

process of constructing meaning that involves 

producing and receiving and processing 

information.” In addition, Hornby (2005: 1467) 

states that “Speaking is used to show that what 

you are saying is true in general, to convey the 

ideas, and to have a conversation with somebody 

about something.” Based on those statements, it 

can be inferred that speaking is the ability to use 

a language orally or say things that cannot go 

back and be changed except with repeating it. In 

another word, speaking is the key to 

communicate.  

 

2.1 Teaching Speaking  

There are three theories about language 

learning (Thornbury, 2005: 38) that can be 

applied in teaching speaking, that are 

behaviourist, cognitivist and sociocultural theory. 

Behaviorist theory emphasizes its method on 

repeated reinforcement through modeling. While 

cognitivist theory sees that learning is a 

movement from controlled to automatic 

processing which applied the conscious attention 

to the learning of individual stages through 

repeated aviation (Thornbury, 2005: 38). The last 

and more perfect than the previous is 



 

Siti Khotimah / Journal of English Language Teaching 3 (1) (2014) 

52 

sociocultural theory, all learning is mediated 

through social and cultural activity whereby the 

teacher interacts with the learners to provide a 

supportive framework within the learners, so that 

they can extend their present competence that is 

called by assisted performance (Thornbury, 2005: 

38).  

 

2.2 Curriculum of 2013 

This curriculum was made based on the 

national education purpose; thinking pattern 

arrangement founded on students’ necessities, 

developing and intensifying material, reinforcing 

the teaching learning process, and adjusting 

students’ and teachers’ task.  

The expectations of this curriculum are 

developing students’ critical thinking, 

cooperativeness, awareness towards their 

surroundings, responsibility of their task, and 

developing students-centred learning. 

 

2.3 Problem based Learning 

The PBL curriculum was develop in order 

to stimulate learners, assist them in seeing the 

relevance of learning to their future life, maintain 

their motivation towards learning in high level, 

and to show the learners to be responsible. The 

use of PBL has expanded from medical study to 

various education areas such as science, law, 

math, education, economic, business, social 

studies, engineering, etc.  

Problem Based Learning uses “real world 

problems and tasks as the initiative objective in 

constructing knowledge and enhancing learning 

experience” (Tai and Yuan: 2007:1). Whereas 

Addalla and Gaffar (2011:1) states that “PBL 

education strategy is characterized by using 

patient’s  problem as a motive for students 

learning, to acquire knowledge of basic and 

clinical sciences related to that problem and 

acquire problem solving skills”. Problem Based 

Learning can be described as “an instructional 

strategy in which students confront conceptually 

ill-structured problems and strive to find 

meaningful solutions” (Rayne and Symons 

2005:6). 

 

 

2.4 Component of PBL 

Based on Rayne and Symons (2005: 6) 

there are some components in Problem Based 

Learning which will be explained as follows: 

a. Group Work. Students work together in small 

groups and provide a framework in which 

students can test and develop their level of 

understanding of the material. 

b. Problem Solving. The problems given in a 

PBL environment are often daily problem 

means that they face it every time in their life 

that need enquiry and critical analysis to 

solve it. 

c. Discovering new knowledge. In order to find a 

meaningful solution, students will have to 

seek new knowledge. 

d. Based on the real world. The main emphasis is 

to encourage students to start thinking like 

an expert early on in their careers, thereby 

easing them to solve their daily problem in 

their real life.  

 

2.5 Implementation of PBL 

Abdalla and Gaffar (2011:15) state that 

there are three steps in implementing PBL in 

teaching learning process. 

a) First session of PBL 

The purpose of this phase is to discuss the 

objectives of Problem Based Learning which 

include challenging students’ knowledge and 

experience in order to solve the problem given to 

them. In this phase, the group has to set up their 

roles and responsibilities in group discussion 

including leader of the group, secretary and also 

member of the group. The duration of this session 

should be 1-2 hours. Following the first session of 

PBL, students will have several days to study 

individually to manage the task given by the 

teacher. 

b) Second session of PBL 

The aim of this session is to share what 

students have learned individually before to solve 

the problem. The duration of this session should 

be 1-2 hours. Meanwhile the objectives of this 

session are train them to be active thinker, 

cooperate with others, responsible for the task 

given to them, learn how to inform others and gat 

an early feedback on result of learning process. 



 

Siti Khotimah / Journal of English Language Teaching 3 (1) (2014) 

53 

c) Third session of PBL 

The duration of the last session should be 

1-2 hours. The aim is to create the discussion 

forum where the students can ask the expert 

concerning to the problem given before. They 

have to share their result of group discussion in 

front other groups to get a feedback from them. 

 

RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES 

 

The researcher applied the classroom 

action research and took a part as a teacher for 32 

students of X MS 4 of SMA N 1 Muntilan in the 

academic year of 2013-2014 as the subject of the 

study. From nine classes of all students in grade 

tenth, this class was chosen as the subject of the 

study because it was the most managable class. 

The research was conducted in three cycles as an 

effort to improve the students’ speaking skills. 

The three cycles were called as cycle 1, cycle 2 

and cycle 3. 

In this research, the researcher applied the 

four phases of Kemmis and Mc Taggart in Burns 

(2010:8) in each cycle. The phases are planning, 

acting, observing, and  reflecting. The design of 

this research is presented in the figure and 

explanation below:  

 

Figure 1. Action Research Process 

 

The action research consists of four phases 

as follows: 

1. Planning 

Planning is the first step of the research 

procedure. The researcher made possible plans 

covering other research members' opinion, 

suggestion, and expectation and materials to 

overcome the reading problems. The teachers’ 

and the students’ opinion and suggestion were 

obtained through interviews. The materials and 

other sources of all about reading were collected 

based on related references and experience. 

2. Acting 

The action that had been planned in the 

planning step was applied here. In this research, 

the treatment was using “Directed Reading-

Thinking Activity Strategy” to enhance their 

ability in reading comprehension. 

3. Observation  

Observation is the activity of collecting the 

data to identify to what extent the result of 

“acting” reaches the objective. The data being 

taken were qualitative data. They were taken 

from observation checklist and field note. 

4. Reflection  

Reflection is the activity of evaluating 

critically about the progress or change of the 

students, class, and also teacher. In this step, the 

researcher or collaborator observed whether the 

“acting” activity resulted any progress, what 

progress happens, and also about the positives 

and negatives, and so on. 

 

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 

 

The data result from the pre-test up to the 

post-test showed that the students’ speaking skill 

increased relatively stable along the process of 

implementing Problem based Learning in the three 

cycles. The final result of the test deals with the 

total score the students gained before and after 

using Problem based Learning. In the pre-test result, 

the students had problems in every aspect of 

speaking skill. In short, pronounciation control 

was very poor and they could not produce 

utterances fluently. The lack of vocabulary 

variation was also the problem. It means that the 

vocabulary variation was not enough sufficient to 

express the idea. It influenced to the result of 

comprehension component, while the students 

couldn’t show the performance as the teacher’s 

expectation.  



 

Siti Khotimah / Journal of English Language Teaching 3 (1) (2014) 

54 

After conducting cycle one and cycle two, 

the result of the post-test increased. The figure 

below shows the improvement of each 

component: 

      Figure 1. Students’ improvement 

By using Problem based Learning, the 

researcher improved students’ speaking in all 

aspects. All students got good scores in grammar, 

vocabulary, comprehension, fluency, 

pronunciation, and intonation.  

The improvement of each aspect of 

speaking skill is explained as follows: 

1) Grammar  

The target tenses that the students should 

be learnt in this material was simple past tense, 

because this chapter was about narrative story. 

They basically knew structure, but they could not 

implement it perfectly in speaking. They verb two 

or added –ed in the end of the verb. They often 

mixed the structure when spoke in English. After 

doing the cycles, the result of grammar aspect 

increased. The result showed that the students 

understood how to use simple past tense 

correctly. They also corrected their grammar by 

themselves when they did mistakes in performing 

a converstation. 

2) Vocabulary  

The pre-test data showed that the students 

had limited vocabularies to express their idea and 

feeling. They only used familiar and simple words 

in their sentences, even some of them forgot the 

simple word because of their nervousness. By 

using PBL method, the students got challenge to 

enrich themselves about the vocabulary variaton 

in order to make a good conversation and for the 

sake of their discussion. After doing several 

practices using PBL method, the test result 

increased from a test to another. The students’ 

vocabulary achievement improved because they 

got new vocabulary from the treatment also the 

teacher’s explanation and they accustomed to 

speak in English. They also tried to find new 

vocabulary from their dictionary or asked the 

teacher. 

3) Fluency 

Fluency is one of the most important and 

difficult aspects to be achieved in speaking skill. 

The result of the pre-test showed that fluency got 

a second grade of low score. As stated above in 

the questionnaire result, the students admitted 

that they rarely spoken English English in their 

real life, so it influenced their fluency. After given 

the treatment, the students’ fluency increased. It 

was influenced by their habit in speaking when 

they practiced in discussion. They also had to 

present their discussion result in front of their 

classmate. It trained them a lot to speak. So, since 

they had a lot of practices, their fluency 

achievement in the post-test was much better than 

in the pre-test. 

4) Comprehension 

The next significant improvement was in 

the comprehension aspect. Comprehension is the 

ability to understand the sentence or content of 

the story completely and be familiar with the 

situation, fact etc. The result of the research 

showed that the students’ comprehension 

increased. In the beginning of the treatment, the 

students did many mistakes related to the 

teacher’s instruction. They almost didn’t 

understand what they should do and don’t. After 

the treatment, the students could understand 

what the teacher said and got the point of 

information related to the topic discussed. In this 

aspect, the writer found out how good they 

understood a spoken language. 

5) Pronunciation 

The students’ pronunciation got the low 

score in pre test. They did many mistakes though 

they used a familiar and simple words. After 

given the treatment, the students’ achievement 

increased. The students’ pronunciation improved 

because they learned how to pronounce the 

0
1
2
3
4
5

P
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n
o

n
ci

at
io

n

V
o

ca
b

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la

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Fl
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n

cy

C
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m
p

re
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e
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si
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In
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G
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Pre-test

Post-test



 

Siti Khotimah / Journal of English Language Teaching 3 (1) (2014) 

55 

words correctly since their wrong pronunciation 

were corrected in the cycle one, two and three.  

6) Intonation  

Students could maintain their intonation 

quite well since pre-test. They could differentiate 

how to say a statement sentence or affirmative 

sentence. So that, the writer did not have any 

difficulties in helping them to improve the 

intonation aspect in speaking English. After 

conducting the third cycle, students’ 

improvement in intonation aspect were high and 

they could apply it in conversation 

unintentionally.  

 

4.1 The Advantages of Using Problem Based 

Learning Method in Teaching Speaking 

The use of Problem Based Learning Method 

had several advantages towards the students’ 

speaking skill. First, the most important is it 

improves the students’ speaking skill in oral 

communication. Problem Based Learning method 

forced the students to speak up only in English. 

All of the students must say something or must 

give opinion about something. This condition 

that made the class become conducive for the 

students to learn speaking English. All of the 

students could be more active in class, it increased 

students’ oral communication especially in 

English. The result is students’ speaking skill is 

getting better.  

Second, the use of Problem Based 

Learning method in teaching speaking could 

increase students’ motivation and interest in 

learning English especially for speaking skill. By 

using a fun treatment and not too formal, 

students will like the learning atmosphere. 

Students will enjoy those condition so that their 

interest in English improves. Besides, the 

problem used in discussion was a daily problem 

that they often face. It made them more active in 

discussing the solution of the problem. In 

addition, all the activities that were involved in 

this strategy gave the students an experience in 

speaking English so that they could be more 

confident in performing their speaking. Students 

also will not feel shy when conveying their ideas.  

Third, Problem Based Learning method is 

a technique that requires cooperation with other 

students in group. Students learn how to work 

together to achieve the goal and how to solve the 

problem. Thus, by conducting Problem Based 

Learning method, students learn social skills such 

as cooperation, teamwork, and communication 

skills which are useful in their future life. 

Moreover, this method also required students to 

think critically before decided what they have to 

do, so that, it will help them to be a critical 

thinker.  

  

CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION 

 

5.1 Conclusion  

Based on data interpretation and 

discussion presented in the previous, I draw the 

following conclusions: 

According to the data analysis in chapter 4, 

it can be drawn some conclusion that: First, the 

purpose of the study is ‘to find out how Problem 

Based Learning is used in teaching speaking to 

the tenth graders of senior high school 01 

Muntilan in the academic year 2013/2014.’ It is 

based on the result of analysis from the 

observation sheets about students’ behavior 

during the treatment, and also the analysis of the 

questionnaire. The implementation of Problem 

Based Learning itself was easy and students 

seemed to like this method based on the 

questionnaire analysis. This method was applied 

in class and the students played their role 

seriously, discussed the solution of the problem 

together with their group member and 

constructed the argumentation to back up their 

solution before they told their solution in front of 

the class. The application of this method could 

improve students’ speaking ability. The first 

purpose was accomplished well. 

Second, the Problem Based Learning 

method improves students’ achievement in 

speaking after being taught by this method. 

Students’ improvement in speaking can be seen 

from the result of pretest and posttest. It can be 

seen from the aspects of speaking skill which 

covered grammar, vocabulary, comprehension, 

fluency, pronunciation, and intonation.  The 

result from the test proved that students’ speaking 

ability was getting better after using this game. 



 

Siti Khotimah / Journal of English Language Teaching 3 (1) (2014) 

56 

 5.2 Suggestion  

Based on the conclusion above, there are 

some suggestions which are presented to improve 

students’ speaking skill. 

Firstly, working together in group is one of 

the methods that can be applied in teaching 

speaking. Teachers should have interesting 

techniques to teach their students, for example by 

using discussion technique. Students need to train 

their speaking skill by speaking English anytime 

and anywhere. By using Problem Based Learning 

method that provides problem to be discussed, it 

will help the students to be more talkative in their 

environment and train them to be critical. This 

method was just an example to encourage 

students in learning speaking. Teacher should be 

able to find another method which is interesting.   

Furthermore, students need to be more 

active in learning speaking. They have to be 

active in every opportunity that requires them to 

speak in English. Practicing is the best way to 

learn English, it will make them more fluent in 

speaking and improve their self-confidence. It 

will be easier if they have a discussion with their 

friends and share everything they think of. 

Lastly, for other researchers who conduct 

an action research in speaking skill area, they can 

explore any other methods to apply in English 

speaking classroom. Moreover, they can do 

further research on this topic in the future. 

 

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Abdalla, Muhammed Elhasan & Abdelrahim 

Mutwakel Gaffar. 2011. The Seven Steps of PBL 

implementation. KSA: Jazan University. 

Burns, Anne. 2010. Doing Action Research in English 

Language Teaching. New York: Roudledge. 

Florez, Mary Ann C. 1999. Improving Adult English 

Language Learners’ Speaking Skills. Available at 

www.cal.org/caela/esl_resources/digests/speak

.html . [accessed 07/01/2014] 

Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. 2008. 

Problem Based Learning Matters. Aurora, IL: 

IMSA. [online]. Available at  

http://pbln.imsa.edu/resources/PBL_Matters.p

df  [accessed 12/01/2014] 

Raine, Derek & Sarah Symons. 2005. Possibilities: a 

Practies Guide to Problem Based Learning in Physics 

and Astronomy. UK. University of Hull. 

Tai, Gillian Xiao Lian & May Chan Yuen. 2007. 

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