The particular dialect or language that a person chooses to use on any occasion is called a code 1236 Copyright © 2025 The Author IDEAS is licensed under CC-BY-SA 4.0 License Issued by English study program of IAIN Palopo IDEAS Journal of Language Teaching and Learning, Linguistics and Literature ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) Volume 13, Number 1, June 2025 pp.1236 - 1253 The Use of PJBL Method in Improving Students' Writing Ability in the English for Ecotourism Course Firmansyah1, Yetty2, Nadia Idris3, Alifia Nur Aisyah4, Fatimah5 1,2,3,4English Education, Khairun University 5English Literature, Mulawarman E-mail: firmansyah@unkhair.ac.id Received: 2024-08-21 Accepted: 2024-06-18 DOI: 10.24256/ideas. v13i1.5473 Abstract Project Based Learning (PjBL) method can be as an alternative that might be used to solve problems in learning writing. This research aims to investigate whether the use of the PjBL method can help students in improving their ability and creativity in writing descriptive texts and explore the students’ perceptions regarding the implementation of Project Based Learning (PjBL) method in writing. This research was conducted at FKIP Khairun University. The data sources as subjects in this research were 21 students in the English Language Education Study Program who were currently implementing courses English for Ecotourism. This research is pre-experimental research with quantitative research methods. Data collection methods were pre-test, post-test and using questionnaires. The results of this study show that there is a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test scores. The average score on the pre-test was 57.10 and the average score on the post-test was 84.95. T- calculated value = -9.337, sig value (2-tailed) = 0.001 <0.05. It means that the use of the PjBL method can improve student learning outcomes in descriptive writing learning. The aspect of writing improved the most with the PjBL method is description of tourism spot. Also, the project that students completed is in the form of wall magazines and videos. Based on the results of questionnaire analysis concerning the students’ perceptions of the implementation of the PjBL method in learning descriptive writing, the indicator of lecturer and student interaction was the highest with the "very good" category at 80.95%. It means that with the PjBL method, it is easier for students to interact with their lecturers in the learning process. In general, based on this research, the implementation of the PjBL method in teaching descriptive writing requires a shift in the lecturer's role from a traditional instructor to a facilitator. http://u.lipi.go.id/1457703302 mailto:firmansyah@unkhair.ac.id IDEAS, Vol. 13, No. 1, June 2025 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 1237 Consequently, students are encouraged to be more independent, active, and collaborative in managing their own writing process, ultimately enhancing their writing skills in a more meaningful and contextual manner. Keywords: PJBL, Writing Ability, Ecotourism Introduction In higher education, writing is the skill that students need to master. Students are able to express their ideas, feelings, and thoughts through writing. In addition, writing can improve critical thinking and creativity. Dhea et al. (2022) state that students must be able to write letters, short messages, birthday cards, descriptive texts, procedures, and a wide variety of other texts as part of their writing competency. Unfortunately, among the four skills in English, writing is the skill that is the most challenging and quite difficult for students to master because writing requires a lot of time and requires precision and sincerity in doing it. Based on the result of earlier interviews, it can be inferred that students struggle with essay writing in English due to a lack of knowledge about the subject, the goal of writing, and the mechanics of putting thoughts into words. Furtermore, many students struggle to express their ideas clearly and contextually, especially in specific writing genres such as descriptive or promotional texts in the field of ecotourism. In addition, conventional, teacher-centered writing instruction often leads to passive learning and low student motivation Related with the problem above, a solution is required to facilitate students' acquisition of writing abilities and originality. For writing is more than just crafting a speech. Understanding syntax, pluralization, tenses, punctuation, capitalization, and other concepts is essential, especially for formal or academic settings. To address these issues, one of the instructional methods currently being promoted is Project-Based Learning (PjBL). This is where the PjBL method becomes relevant and effective. PjBL encourages students to learn through real-world projects that require writing skills as an integral part of completing the task. Project-Based Learning establishes a connection between academic content and real-world contexts, enabling students to undertake research by utilizing a variety of information sources. Through the independent process of identifying and gathering resources, students' research competencies are further developed and refined. Additionally, PjBL promotes enhanced collaboration, as students organize and lead their own groups throughout the project. This collaborative effort facilitates knowledge sharing and collective creation of final outputs. Consequently, students not only enhance their social communication skills but also benefit from exposure to multiple perspectives (Wahyudin, 2017; Aminatun & Oktaviani, 2019). In this context, students Firmansyah, Yetty, Nadia Idris, Alifia Nur Aisyah, Fatimah Utilizing of Project-Based Learning to Increase Students’ Vocabulary Mastery at the Tenth Grade of Senior High School 1238 investigate, assess, decipher, synthesize, and communicate data on projects they have worked on. It is a long-term, student-centered activity that integrates real- world and practical issues. Basically, some research on the implementation of PjBL have been carried out by many researchers, including Hasani, Hendrayana, and Senjaya (2017), Ardiana Ardiana, Ariana Ariana, & Eka Irianti. (2023), Mukhlisin, R., Supardi, S., & Usuludin, U. (2023) and Roisatin, U. A., Thamrin, M., & Wahyuningsih, N. (2022). All studies have indicated that PjBL can enhance students' composition abilities. Thus, the purpose of this study is to find out if the PjBL approach may aid students in developing their writing skills and creativity, particularly when it comes to producing descriptive texts. The theme that raised in this research is writing descriptions of tourism spots in the city of Ternate. The theme for tourism spots in the city of Ternate was chosen because this city is a city known as its spice route which has a lot of promising tourism potential. The tourism potential is varied, including historical tourism, natural tourism, marine tourism, religious tourism and cultural tourism objects. All of these are as special attraction for touristm, both domestic and foreign tourism. Related to the writing skill, in the English for Ecotourism course, students face challenges such as limited ecotourism-specific vocabulary, weak descriptive writing skills, and incorrect grammar usage. They also struggle to produce coherent texts and often rely on translation from their native language, which results in unnatural expressions. Additionally, a lack of understanding of promotional writing genres and local cultural context makes it difficult for them to adapt their language style to fit the ecotourism context. Thus, in this research, through the implementation of PjBL, apart from developing students' writing skills and creativity, it is hoped that as a generation in the city of Ternate they can write about tourism in their area so that in the end, through projects produced by students, it can be used as a form of tourism promotion for both local and foreign tourism. Furthermore, descriptive writing about tourism spots is essential for students' future careers in ecotourism, as it enables them to effectively promote destinations by highlighting their unique features. This skill not only enhances their ability to attract and inform potential tourists but also prepares them for professional communication in a global tourism market. The selection of the Project-Based Learning (PjBL) method used in this research because PjBL method is built on key components and principles that emphasize active, student-centered learning through meaningful projects. Its core elements include a driving question or real-world problem, student autonomy, collaborative work, research and inquiry, creation of a tangible product, and public presentation or reflection. Therefore, based on the background described, researchers focused on use Project Based Learning (PjBL) to improve students' writing skills in course English for Ecotourism. IDEAS, Vol. 13, No. 1, June 2025 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 1239 This research is to find out the use of PjBL method can improve students writing skill dan to find out the students’ perception on the use of PjBL in improving writing skill in course English for Ecotourism. Literature Review 1. Writing Skill a. Definition of Writing Writing is a crucial skill for university students, as it enables them to express their ideas clearly while enhancing creativity and critical thinking. Mastery of writing also significantly influences their proficiency and achievement in learning English (Syarifah, 2019). Writing is a productive skill that requires communicating a message, hence the message must have a purpose, according to the definition given above. Authors can convey their thoughts to readers through writing. This means that specific knowledge of how to generate ideas, organize them coherently, combine them into written text using punctuation and rhetorical conventions, edit text to follow grammar rules, revise text for clarity, and produce a final product writing are required for this activity. b. Writing Process Mulyanah (2021) states that writing must go through four major steps in the writing process in order to achieve written form. Planning is one of them with the intention of motivating and inspiring kids to write. Students must be prepared to present a writing learning experience that is akin to brainstorming since the goal of writing practice is to foster students' ideas. The next step is composition, when students will focus on their writing and need to pay attention to the work's correctness. Students should focus on the significance of the writing process as well as the content. Apart from that, students are also encouraged to present messages to various audiences, including in the class. Then, proceed with editing (reflecting and revising). After students produce a draft of their writing, they then review what the writing is about. There may be an information that is not sequential. After that, the final version, namely after the writer has edited their draft, revised or edited as deemed necessary, a final article will be produced. Students are provided with different learning activities at every level to assist them in mastering certain writing abilities. Teachers can support students in developing their idea generation abilities by assigning brainstorming and clustering tasks throughout the planning phase. Firmansyah, Yetty, Nadia Idris, Alifia Nur Aisyah, Fatimah Utilizing of Project-Based Learning to Increase Students’ Vocabulary Mastery at the Tenth Grade of Senior High School 1240 2. Project Based Learning (PjBL) a. Definition of Project Based Learning (PjBL) Teachers might use the learning approach known as project-based learning in their instruction. The learning approach used in project-based learning is student-centered. Project Based Learning (PjBL) is a learning approach that includes students in complicated tasks, occurs in several phases, and has a relatively lengthy duration, according to Sudjimat (2020). According to Asprilla (2017), PjBL is a learning paradigm that use projects or activities to help students develop the attitudes, knowledge, and psychomotor skills necessary to solve issues through investigation, analysis, production, and display of learning products based on actual experience. In Project Based Learning (PjBL), learning activities must enable students to design, create, and display a product to solve real-life problems. The problems studied are usually quite complex and require mastery of various concepts or subject matter to solve them. It can be done by exploring, collecting information, interpreting and assessing related to the problem being studied. Therefore, Project Based Learning learning (PjBL) is a project-based learning model as a means of achieving knowledge and psychomotor skills that requires students to think analytically through research and display learning products based on real experience. Apart from that, this learning model can also develop student activity and increase cooperation between fellow students in learning. b. Advantages of Project Based Learning (PjBL) There are many advantages that can be gained from implementing PjBL in English language teaching, including providing useful learning that is tailored to student needs. PjBL produces products that can be useful in real life. What they produce can be used in life according to their field of study. It also provides the best environment for students to advance their English language proficiency, which is another benefit. PjBL can assist pupils in fully optimizing their English language proficiency. Students may maximize not only their writing abilities but also their speaking and other English language skills by presenting their work. Additionally, it makes it easier for students to participate fully in the initiatives that are planned. To ensure that no student is inactive and uninterested, they must actively participate in projects and learning activities. Then, to increase the interest and motivation in learning English is by carrying out projects based on the interests and the agreements between students and teaching lecturers so that it is hoped that students will be able to complete the project voluntarily. The final benefit is increasing the ability to work together because projects are completed together so that good cooperation is expected to be created. IDEAS, Vol. 13, No. 1, June 2025 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 1241 c. Stages of Project Based Learning (PjBL) Planning, implementation, and presentation are the three steps that PjBL typically consists of (Essien, 2018; Kalabzova , 2015). During the preparation phase, students are split up into many groups, after which they select a topic, conduct a literature review, locate the necessary information sources, and arrange it. Students then create project ideas, gather information, divide up group responsibilities, and carry out the project during the implementation stage. The last section involves group presentations of the projects' outcomes, followed by self-reflection on the comments received. According to Ahyar (2021), the syntax in using a model Project Based Learning (PjBL), described below: a) Start with Essential Question Learning starts from the basic questions, namely questions that can assign students to an activity. Questions are prepared by selecting topics that are relevant to the real world and starting with in-depth inquiry. Then, the topic chosen by the teacher must also be relevant to students. b) Design a Plant for the Project Teachers and students work together to execute pre-existing plans. As a result, they need to feel like they own the project. Planning includes identifying the resources that may be accessible to assist finish the project, integrating different materials, and supporting the decision-making process when choosing activities to address critical topics. c) Create a Schedule To finishing the assignment, teachers and students collaborate to create an activity schedule. At this stage, students will be asked to: (1) create a schedule for the project's completion; (2) determine when the project will be completed; (3) assist students in planning new approaches; (4) mentor students when they create new approaches unrelated to the project's objectives; and (5) explain (with reasons) how they arrived at the time they did. After then, all parties agree on the planned timetable, which enables teachers to keep an eye on students' academic progress and complete assignments outside of the classroom. d) Monitoring the Students and Progress of Project The instructor's responsibility is to oversee the students' work while they finish the project. In order to effectively supervise, every procedure must be made convenient for the pupils. Stated differently, the instructor serves as a guide for the pupils' assignments. Thus, indicators that can capture all significant operations were developed in order to streamline the monitoring procedure. Firmansyah, Yetty, Nadia Idris, Alifia Nur Aisyah, Fatimah Utilizing of Project-Based Learning to Increase Students’ Vocabulary Mastery at the Tenth Grade of Senior High School 1242 e) Assess the Outcome Assessments are conducted to help teachers gauge students' mastery of competence standards, assess each student's growth, give feedback on the comprehension level attained by students, and help teachers develop more teaching tactics. f) Evaluation the Experience Teachers and students evaluate the outcomes of completed projects and activities at the conclusion of the learning process. You can work through the reflection process alone or with a group. Students are now expected to share their thoughts and feelings while finishing the assignment. In order to enhance performance, teachers and students collaborate during the learning process. Ultimately, they uncover fresh information to address the issues brought up during the first learning phase. Study of implementation Project Based Learning (PjBL) in writing activities are still an interesting thing to be as a research. Several studies regarding the implementation of PjBL include Setiana & Azizah (2019) with the results namely evaluating student poetry products based on models Project Based Learning (PBL). Four components make up the evaluation of student poetry: (1) originality in subject and content; (2) creativity; (3) diction correctness; and (4) powerful imagery. The evaluation findings are then used to create instructional materials on appropriate and decent manners in Indonesian. The second research was conducted by Thalita & Rosdiana (2020) with research results showing that students' ability to write negotiation texts based on the negotiation videos they made was good. The third research was conducted by Martini & Sobari (2021) with the results of research on learning to produce expository texts using a project-based model for class X MIPA students which proved effective and could make students active and learning more varied and enjoyable. The observation sheet shows that it is good and the response sheet shows that students prefer using project-based learning models. Meanwhile, further research was conducted by Reznani, Sulystio & Nurahasanah (2022) with research results is Project Based Learning (PjBL) influences students' academic writing abilities. This is demonstrated by the t- test performed on the students' post-test results. Using the SPSS version 20 computer software, inferential statistical analysis was used to acquire data, and the findings showed that the significance value (1-tailed) was 0.000 < 0.05. This demonstrates that the beginning and end variables differ significantly from one another. Based on this, it is claimed that STIE Dwi Sakti Baturaja Management students' academic writing skills are significantly impacted by the use of PjBL. The four reserach above all used PjBL model or method in the research conducted. Only that there are several differences, including the first research evaluating students' literary work products, namely poetry. The second IDEAS, Vol. 13, No. 1, June 2025 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 1243 research involved students writing negotiation texts based on negotiation videos. The third research is producing expository texts and the last is research centered on students in academic writing. This research also uses the PjBL method. However, the difference lies in the theme of the students' writing, namely writing descriptive text about tourism spots in the city of Ternate and research subjects are the students of the English Education Study Program who are taking the English for Ecotourism course. Method This research was quantitative research. A pre-experimental research design with pre-test, treatment and post-test was used to determine the use of the PjBL method in improving students' writing skills. Meanwhile, to find out students' perceptions regarding the implementation of the PjBL method in learning writing, a quantitative descriptive design was used. This study, which involved 21 students overall, was carried out at FKIP Khairun University and focused on sixth semester students enrolled in the English for Ecotourism course under the English Language Education Study Program. This research used purposive sampling. Eight sessions were held for this research: six were for treatment (i.e., applying the PjBL technique to teach students how to produce descriptive texts), the last meeting served as a post- test. The first meeting served as a pre-test. Regarding the data sources, writing tests and questionnaires are the instruments used to collect data. To answer the first research question regarding the implementation of PjBL in improving students' writing skills, a pre-test and post-test were carried out in data collection. Quantitative test results are used to determine whether there is a significant improvement in students' writing skills before and after being treated in the form of learning writing by using PjBL method. Meanwhile, to answer the second question, namely students’ perceptions regarding the implementation of PjBL in learning writing, especially descriptive texts about tourism spots in the city of Ternate, a questionnaire was used as an instrument. This research used statistics to analyze the data. Students’ pre-test and post-test results were analyzed based on a writing assessment rubric consisting of seven indicators, among others topic sentence, description, supporting details, statement of conclusion, reference with support and legibility to get the final score. Next, a paired-sample test using SPSS was used to test whether there was a significant improvement in students' writing skills by using the PjBL method in learning writing. In the students’ perception section, questionnaire data is analyzed by calculating scores based on four categories, namely very good, good, fair and poor with six indicators, namely interaction between lecturers and students, motivation, understanding, critical thinking, time management and learning outcomes. Firmansyah, Yetty, Nadia Idris, Alifia Nur Aisyah, Fatimah Utilizing of Project-Based Learning to Increase Students’ Vocabulary Mastery at the Tenth Grade of Senior High School 1244 Finding and Discussion Finding The results of this research outlined into two objectives of the research, namely the use of the PjBL method to improve students' writing skills and the second is students’ perceptions regarding the use of the PjBL method. a. The Use of PJBL Method to Improve Students’ Writing Skills In the first step of this research, a pre-test was carried out to measure the extent to which students' writing skills regarding descriptions of tourism attractions in the city of Ternate. The pre-test results are measured using a writing assessment rubric specifically for descriptive text which consists of seven indicators, among others topic sentence, description, supporting details, statement of conclusion, reference with support and legibility. The pre-test results can be seen in the table below: Table 1.1. Pre-test Result No Students Category Percentage (%) 1. WN Excellent 4,8 % 2. MF, ND Good 9,5 % 3. MJ, RH, NS, AW, NH, KF, RB Fair 33,3% 4. PJ, YA, DZ, SF, MA, YU, TF, FS, RN, AF, AA, Poor 52,4% 5. - Very Poor - Based on table 1 above, out of 21 students, only one had a percentage of 4.8% in the excellent category, two had a percentage of 9.5% in the good category, seven had a percentage of 33.3% in the fair category, and the greatest number 11 students had a percentage of 52% in the poor category. No student receives a grade in the really low range. It demonstrates how poor pupils' descriptive writing abilities are still. After holding a pre-test, the PjBL method was applied as a treatment by paying attention to the syntax of the PjBL method. In this research, the students were given a project to write the descriptions of tourism attractions in the city of Ternate. The project that carried out was in the form of a wall magazine and contain the descriptions of tourism attractions including the pictures made by students creatively. Before creating a project, students were given knowledge about the descriptive text and aspects of writing. Next, students are asked to jointly prepare a project plan and follow the schedule. At the implementation stage of project creation, students were accompanied and monitored regarding the progress of their project. As for the assessment stage, students were asked to present the results of the project and then carried out an evaluation. After the treatment, a post-test was carried out to measure students' writing abilities after implementing the PjBL method. The IDEAS, Vol. 13, No. 1, June 2025 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 1245 post-test results can be seen in the table below: Table 2. Post-test Result No Students Category Percentage (%) 1. PJ, MJ, YA, DZ, SF, MA, RH, YU, NS, FS, RN, WN, ND, AW, NH, KF Excellent 76,2 % 2. MF, TF, AF, RB Good 19 % 3. AA Fair 4.8% 4. 5. - - Poor Very Poor - - Table 2 above shows that 16 pupils, or 76.2% of the total, fell into the excellent group; four individuals, or 19% of the total, were in the good category; and one person, or 4.8% of the total, was in the fair category. The category of poor and extremely poor pupils is empty. When compared to the prior pre-test results, it demonstrates that there has been an increase in the students' post- test outcomes. Furthermore, the comparison between the pre-test and post- test results can be seen in the table below: Table 3. Comparison of Pre-Test dan Post Test Result Interval Value Category Frequency Pre-Test Post-Test 86-100 Excellent 1 16 71-85 Good 2 4 56-70 Fair 7 1 41-55 Poor 11 0 <40 Very Poor 0 0 Total 21 21 Based on table 3 above, a significant result can be seen between the pre-test and post- test scores. In the score of intervals 86-100, initially in the pre-test, only one student got excellent category then it increased to 16 students after a post-test was held. As for good category with an interval value of 71-85 there was an increasing which in the initially only two people then increased to four people. In fair category, which was originally seven people then decreased to one person. Another category that shows significant value was poor category where initially 11 students after the post-test were none in the poor category. For more clarity, it can be seen in the graph below: Firmansyah, Yetty, Nadia Idris, Alifia Nur Aisyah, Fatimah Utilizing of Project-Based Learning to Increase Students’ Vocabulary Mastery at the Tenth Grade of Senior High School 1246 Figure 1. Comparison of Pre-Test and Post Test Results Based on figure 1 above, namely the comparison graph between pre-test and post-test scores, it can be concluded that there was an significant increasing in students’ scores after given treatment, namely using the PjBL method in learning to write, especially writing descriptions of tourism attractions in the city of Ternate. It is reinforced by the SPPS calculation results which can be seen in the table below: Table 4. Paired Samples Statistics Mean N Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean Pair 1 pretest 57.10 21 10.134 2.211 posttest 84.95 21 8.743 1.908 Table 5. Paired Samples Correlations N Correlati on Sig. Pair 1 pretest & posttest 21 - .044 .85 0 Table 6. Paired Samples Test Paired Differences t d f Sig. (2- tailed) Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean 95% Confidence Interval of the Difference Lower Upper IDEAS, Vol. 13, No. 1, June 2025 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 1247 Pair 1 pretest - posttest - 2 7 . 8 5 7 13.672 2.984 -34.081 -21.634 -9.337 20 .001 The summary results of the SPPS computation in tables 4, 5, and 6 above indicate that the pre-test average score was 57.10, whereas the post-test average score was 84.95. Furthermore, the preceding computations' findings demonstrate a significant relationship (t-count = -9.337, sig value (2-tailed) = 0.001 <0.05) between the PjBL method's use and students' writing abilities. Consequently, it can be said that kids who study writing using the PjBL approach have quite different learning results. Writing proficiency among students is higher when the PjBl approach is used. Therefore, employing the PJBL learning approach has an impact on students' ability to write better, particularly when describing tourist spots. 2. Students’ Perception of the Use of PJBL in Writing In this section, the students' perception regarding the implementation of the method will be described Project Based Learning (PjBL) in writing. This perception was obtained from distributing of questionnaire containing six indicators, including lecturer interaction with students, motivation, understanding, critical thinking, time management and learning outcomes. The following is a description of the results of students’ perception based on questionnaire data analysis. The first indicator explains the interaction between lecturers and students. By applying the PjBL method in writing, especially writing about tourism spots in Ternate city, it was found that by applying this method, students stated that they actively interacted in the learning process. It can be seen in the table below: Table 7. Questionnaire Analysis Results on Lecturer and Students Interaction Indicator Lecturer and Students Interaction Category Interval Frequency Percent Very Good 17-20 17 80.95238 Good 13-16 4 19.04762 Fair 9-12 0 0 Poor 5-8 0 0 Firmansyah, Yetty, Nadia Idris, Alifia Nur Aisyah, Fatimah Utilizing of Project-Based Learning to Increase Students’ Vocabulary Mastery at the Tenth Grade of Senior High School 1248 Based on table 7 above, students' perceptions regarding the interaction between lecturers and students during the writing learning process using the PjBL method were found 17 to be in the very good category (80.95%) and four students were in the good category (19.05%). Therefore, it can be concluded that by implementing the PjBL method, students actively communicate both with their lecturers and with their group friends or other friends during the writing learning process. These forms of interaction include them actively asking both friends and lecturers when they face difficulties working on projects and consulting with lecturers or friends in completing project assignments. The second indicator explains students’ motivation. The use of the PjBL method in learning writing was able to increase the students' motivation to learn. It can be seen in the table of analysis results below: Table 8. Questionnaire Analysis Results on Motivation Indicators Based on table 8 above, the motivation of students in writing by using PjBL method was obtained as many as 14 students were in the very good category (66.67%) and seven students were in the good category (33.33%). It shows that with the implementation of the PjBL method students are more motivated to learn. The third indicator explains the students’ understanding. When writing by using the PjBL method, students become more aware of descriptive text and the aspects of writing descriptive text. This can be seen in the following analysis results table: Table 9. Questionnaire Analysis Results on Students’ Understanding Indicators Students’ Understanding Category Interval Frequency Percent Very good 17-20 16 76.19048 Good 13-16 5 23.80952 Fair 9-12 0 0 Poor 5-8 0 0 Table 9 above, which shows the students' perceptions of their understanding of descriptive text content using the PjBL approach, shows that 16 students (76.20%) fell into the very good category. Next, a maximum of five Students’ Motivation Category Interval Frequency Percent Very good 14-16 14 66.66667 Good 11-13 7 33.33333 Fair 8-10 0 0 Poor 4-7 0 0 IDEAS, Vol. 13, No. 1, June 2025 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 1249 pupils (23.80%) fell into the good group. It demonstrates how the PjBL approach might aid students in comprehending the concepts related to descriptive texts and writing. The fourth indicator explains students' critical thinking. By implementing PjBL method in writing descriptive text, it can help students think critically. It can be seen in the analysis results table below: Table 10. Questionnaire Analysis Results on Students’ Critical Thinking Indicators Students’ Critical Thinking Category Interval Freque nc y Percent Very good 17-20 15 71.42857 Good 13-16 6 28.57143 Fair 9-12 0 0 Poor 5-8 0 0 Table 10 above shows how students responded about using the PjBL approach to critical thinking when writing descriptive texts. Of these, 15 students rated their critical thinking as very good (71.42%), and 6 students rated it as good (28.58%). Thus, teaching kids to write utilizing the PjBL technique can aid in their critical thinking. The fifth indicator explains time management. Based on students' perceptions about the using of the PjBL method in writing, it can help students to arrange their study time. It can be seen in the table of questionnaire analysis results on study time management indicators below: Table 11. Questionnaire Analysis Results on Study Time Management Indicators Based on table 11 above 12 pupils (57.15%) fell into the very good group, 8 students (38.10%) into the good category, and 1 student (4.76%) into the fair category. It demonstrates how students may learn to manage their study time by using the PjBL approach. Student learning results are explained by the sixth indicator. Students' opinions of the PjBL method's application in writing indicate that it can enhance students' learning results. It can be seen in the analysis results table below: Study Time Management Category Interval Frequency Percent Very good 10-12 12 57.14286 Good 8-9 8 38.09524 Fair 6-7 1 4.761905 Poor 3-5 0 0 Firmansyah, Yetty, Nadia Idris, Alifia Nur Aisyah, Fatimah Utilizing of Project-Based Learning to Increase Students’ Vocabulary Mastery at the Tenth Grade of Senior High School 1250 Table 12. Questionnaire Analysis Results on Student Learning Outcome Indicators Based on table 12 above, 14 students stated that the learning results were very good (66.67%) and seven students stated that the learning results were good (33.33%). Thus, the use of PjBL method in writing can improve student learning outcomes. Discussion This research describes the use of the PjBL method in the learning process of writing descriptive texts about tourist spots in Ternate City particularly in English for ecotourism course. It also describes the student’s perceptions regarding the implementation of PjBL in writing. PjBL is a learning method that is student- centered and integrates learning experiences through projects so that students are able to develop writing skills through direct practice based on their experience. According to Kirom (2023), PjBL places more emphasis on the activity of understanding a concept through in-depth investigation of problems while finding solutions through certain projects. It is model aims to train students to think logically, systematically and scientifically. The findings demonstrated a statistically significant difference between the pre- and post-test scores. The pre-test average score was 57.10, whereas the post- test average score was 84.95. This suggests that applying PjBL instructional strategies might enhance students' descriptive writing learning objectives. PjBL is therefore a useful strategy for raising pupils' writing proficiency. It assists students in creating projects that fit their requirements and areas of interest. The result shows that students' abilities to write descriptive texts are positively impacted by the employment of project-based learning (PjBL) techniques in the writing process when studying English for ecotourism since it fosters a good learning environment. Students are able to comprehend some parts of descriptive writing and exchange knowledge and information. Strengthened by the results of questionnaire analysis regarding the student’s perceptions of the implementation of PjBL method in learning descriptive writing, the indicator of interaction between lecturers and students is the highest with the very good category at 80.95%. It means that with this method, it is easier for students to interact with their lecturers in the learning process. In line with what was stated by Akhyaruddin and Yusra (2023) that the PjBL learning method requires the active participation of students to integrate many sources of Student Learning Outcomes Category Interval Frequency Percent Very good 14-16 14 66.66667 Good 11-13 7 33.33333 Fair 8-10 0 0 Poor 4-7 0 0 IDEAS, Vol. 13, No. 1, June 2025 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 1251 information in the learning context and be able to solve problems based on previous experience and knowledge and facilitated by the lecturer. Apart from that, the student understanding indicator in the very good category was 76.20%. It means that students understand of descriptive writing material better by using the PjBL method. Meanwhile, the critical thinking indikator showed 71.42% was in the very good category. It shows that students are able to think critically when writing by using PjBL method in the learning process. According to Kirom (2023), PjBL-based learning is carried out collaboratively in completing projects so as to train students to be independent and work together in teams and develop critical and real thinking skills. Based on this reserach, PjBL is a learning method that can be implemented in writing. It is because students' writing can develop well if it is stimulated by a project theme that they are interested in, so that the ideas and content of the essay develop and are focused, coupled with the use of pictures and decorations that match the theme which emphasizes the content of the student's writing. Apart from that, this method can build the character of students who are able to learn actively, creatively, collaboratively and innovatively so that they are able to solve problems that they face together and the results can be accounted for. However, what needs to be paid attention to is that the syntax or steps in the PjBL method must be implemented thoroughly so that student learning outcomes can be maximized. Conclusion Project-based learning (PjBL) is an alternate approach that may be used to writing challenges. The results of the students' pre- and post-tests differed significantly, according to this study. The pre-test average score was 57.10, whereas the post-test average score was 84.95. T-value computed = -9.337, two- tailed significance value = 0.001 <0.05. This suggests that applying the PjBL technique might enhance students' descriptive writing learning objectives. According to the analysis of the questionnaires, which asked students about their opinions of the use of the PjBL technique in their descriptive writing classes, the indicator of interaction between the lecturers and students came in top, scoring 80.95% in the very excellent category. In other words, by implementing this method, it is easier for students to interact with their lecturers in the learning process. Thus, it can be concluded that the use of the PjBL method can improve students' writing skills when learning in english for ecotourism course. Apart from that, the students' perceptions regarding the implementation of PjBL shows that by using this method, students can easily interact with their lecturers, understand descriptive writing material and are able to think critically. In general, based on this research, the implementation of the PjBL method in teaching descriptive writing requires a shift in the lecturer's role from a traditional instructor to a facilitator. 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