Indonesian Journal of Learning and Instruction 
Volume 2, Issue 1, April 2019 

p-ISSN 2614-8250, e-ISSN 2614-5677 
https://journal.uniku.ac.id/index.php/IJLI 

 

71 
 

THE USE OF PROJECT BASED LEARNING METHOD IN 
DEVELOPING STUDENTS' CRITICAL THINKING  

 

Iskandar 
Postgraduate Studies, Universitas Kuningan, Indonesia 

E-mail: iskandaruniku@gmail.com 

 

Sri Mulyati 
Postgraduate Studies, Universitas Kuningan, Indonesia 

E-mail: sri.mulyati@gmail.com 

 
APA Citation: Iskandar, I., & Mulyati, S. (2019). The use of project based learning method in 

developing students’ critical thinking. Indonesian Journal of Learning and 

Instruction, 2(1), 71-78. doi: 10.25134/ijli.v2i01.1686. 

 
Received: 19-12-2018             Accepted: 22-02-2019         Published: 01-04-2019 

 
Abstract: This research aims to determine the difference of students' critical thinking ability 

between class which get Project Based Learning (PjBL) method and expository method. The 
method use experimental method with factorial design 2x2. The research subjects are class X-IPS 1 

as an experimental class consists of 32 students and class X-IPS 2 as a control class consists of 32 

students. The data collection techniques use test and questionnaires. While, the data analysis 

technique uses two way Anova. From the result of data analysis, PjBL method is more effective in 
improving students’ critical thinking ability compared with expository method. However, there is a 

difference in critical thinking skills, where students with high motivation levels are more effective 

than students with low motivation. For students who have high motivation but use PjBL method, it 
is better when compared with students who have high motivation but use expository methods in the 

control class. There is an interaction between learning methods with learning motivation in 

affecting the students’ critical thinking ability. Therefore, it is recommended for teacher to use 

PjBL method on cooperative material. In PjBL method, teachers play an important role in the 
implementation of the learning process for it requires mastery of materials and good class 

management and students should actively participate in project execution activities to make 

learning more meaningful.    
Keywords: critical thinking ability; expository method; learning motivation; Project Based 

Learning (PjBL) method. 

 

 

INTRODUCTION 

Entrepreneurship learning aims to develop 

students’ entrepreneurship intention. This 

entrepreneurship intention will appear if the 

students understand deeply the meaning of 

the material being delivered. Therefore, the 

abilities of critical thinking and creative 

thinking are two main cases that should be 

developed in entrepreneurship learning. Yet 

to develop these two kinds of ability needs a 

learning process that requires students’ 

involvement optimally. This is the main 

challenge encountered by the 

entrepreneurship teachers right now. 

Unfortunately, the observation we 

conduct at the field shows that now teachers 

still orients to the completeness of material 

using simple method such as expository. As a 

result, students tend to receive more 

information and less afford the opportunities 

to develop their critical thinking ability. As 

stated by Ausubel (Bell, 1981), if this 

expository method is not packed creatively 

then it will result in the learning that 

concentrates more on the learning material 

only.  

The fact can be seen from several 

drawbacks of learning process occurring at 

school now. Those drawbacks are: 1) 

https://doi.org/10.25134/ijli.v2i01.1686


Iskandar & Sri Mulyati 
The use of project based learning method in developing students’ critical thinking  

72 
 

students pay less attention to the teacher’s 

explanation in each learning process, 2) 

students have less desire and spirit in 

studying, 3) students’ low concentration 

during the learning process, and 4) students’ 

low motivation in following the learning 

process. Based on the observation result, it 

was seen that students were still in doubt to 

ask and answer the teacher’s question, and 

there were still many students who answered 

the question by only repeating the words on 

the question without any more critical and 

creative answers.  

Therefore, to change students to think 

critically needs an innovation in case of the 

learning method used by the teacher so it can 

improve the students’ learning outcomes. 

One of the creative method is Project Based 

Learning (PjBL) method. The PjBL method 

refers to the theory of social constructivism 

learning from Vygotsky that is believed to 

develop the students’ critical thinking ability 

through the activity of problem solving 

contextually which is conducted by students 

cooperatively and project making which is 

done by students evidently. Yet in fact, it is 

not only the method that affects the learning 

outcomes, some studies show that the 

characteristics of each students, such as 

learning motivation level, also determines the 

students’ learning outcomes. This 

phenomenon drives us to conduct a research 

on the correlation between learning method 

used and the high and low of the learning 

motivation level in affecting students’ critical 

thinking ability.  

Coming the rationale above, the 

problems of this research can be formulated 

as follows: 1) Is there any difference of 

students’ critical thinking ability between the 

class using Project Based Learning (PjBL) 

method and the class using expository 

method? 2) Is there any difference of 

students’ critical thinking ability between 

students with high learning motivation and 

low learning motivation? 3) For students 

with high learning motivation, is there any 

difference of critical thinking ability between 

the students in class using PjBL method and 

the students in class using expository 

method? 4) For students with low learning 

motivation, is there any difference of critical 

thinking ability between the students in class 

using PjBL method and the students in class 

using expository method? and 5) Is there any 

interaction between learning method and 

learning motivation in affecting the students’ 

critical thinking ability?  

Norris and Ennis in Alec Fisher (2009, 

p.4) state critical thinking as “rational and 

reflective thinking that focuses on decision 

making about what is done or believed.” 

Furthermore, they explain that rational means 

that the thinking is based in the facts to 

produce the best decision, and reflective 

means finding the best solution consciously 

and explicitly. From Norris and Ennis’ 

definition above, it can be concluded that 

critical thinking is thinking which is directed 

to purpose. The purpose of critical thinking is 

evaluating the best action or belief. Norris 

and Ennis focus the framework on the 

thinking process that involves the 

information collection and criteria 

implementation to consider a series of 

different action or opinion, with indicators: 

1) elementary classification; 2) basic support; 

3) inferring, 4) advanced clarification; and 5) 

strategies and tactics. 

Kosasih (2014, p.96) explains that 

project based learning is “the learning 

method that uses project or activity as the 

purpose.” Based on the definition above, it 

can be concluded that project based learning 

(PjBL) focuses on students’ activity in form 

of information collection and its use to 

produce something beneficial for the students 

themselves or other people, but still related to 

the Basic Competence in Curriculum. PjBL 

is believed to improve students’ academic 

achievement, as much observed by Rais 

(2010), Bell (2010), Fatmawati and 

Rustaman (2011), Lyesmaya (2011) and so 

on, in Rahman (2014, p.4) basically 

concludes that PjBL can improve the concept 

mastery, the problem solving ability, the 

communication ability, the critical thinking 

and creative thinking ability, and can grow 

characters.   



Indonesian Journal of Learning and Instruction 
Volume 2, Issue 1, April 2019 

p-ISSN 2614-8250, e-ISSN 2614-5677 
https://journal.uniku.ac.id/index.php/IJLI 

 

73 
 

Winkel (2005, p.160) calls learning 

motivation the whole mental driving force 

inside the students’ that causes the learning 

activity to achieve a purpose. According to 

Uno (2011, p.23), learning motivation is 

internal and external encouragement on 

students who are learning to hold behavior, 

generally with some supporting indicators or 

elements. Those indicators are: the desire and 

pretension to success, encouragement and 

needs in learning, future expectation and 

dreams, appreciation in learning and 

conducive learning environment.  

The hypotheses in this research are as 

follows: 1) There is difference of students’ 

critical thinking ability between the class 

with Project Based Learning (PjBL) method 

and the class with expository method; 2) 

There is difference students’ critical thinking 

ability between those with high and low 

learning motivation; 3) For students with 

high learning motivation, there is difference 

of critical thinking ability between the 

students in class using PjBL method and the 

students in class using expository method; 4) 

For students with low learning motivation, 

there is difference of critical thinking ability 

between the students in class using PjBL 

method and the students in class using 

expository method; and 5) There is an 

interaction between learning method and 

learning motivation in affecting the students’ 

critical thinking ability. 

 

METHOD 

This research had been carried out to 

determine the difference of students' critical 

thinking ability between class which get 

Project Based Learning (PjBL) method and 

expository method. The research subjects are 

students in SMA Negeri 2 Kuningan on 

academic year 2016/2017. All the participant 

are the students in class X-IPS 1 as an 

experimental class consists of 32 students 

and class X-IPS 2 as a control class consists 

of 32 students.  

The method used quasi experimental 

method with factorial design 2x2. The 

research design can be described as follows: 

 

Table 1. Factorial design 2x2 

Students’ Learning 

Motivation Level (B) 

Learning Method (A) 

PjBL Method (A1) Expository Method (A2) 

High Level of Learning 

Motivation (B1) 
(A1 , B1) (A2 , B1) 

Low Level of Learning 

Motivation (B2) 
(A1 , B2) (A2 , B2) 

 

In this research, three types of 

instruments were employed for data 

collection. There were test, questionnaire, 

and documentation study. Beside that, data 

analysis technique in this research used two 

way Anova. In the test result of research 

instrument, there were four stages as follows: 

1) Validity test was about 50 items of valid 

questions and 35 items of valid questionnaire 

statements; 2) Reliability test conducted the 

test instrument of critical thinking skill and 

reliable questionnaire since > 0.70; 3) 

Question difficulty test was about 6% 

difficult questions, 4% easy questions and 

90% medium questions; and 4) 

Distinguishing power test was about 8% 

items of good enough questions, 22% items 

of good questions and 70% items of very 

good questions.   

 

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 

Overall, the output of statistical result with 

factorial design 2x2 which can be used to 

describe the hypothesis 1 to the hypothesis 5 

can be presented more clearly by the 

researcher as follows: 

 

 

 

 



Iskandar & Sri Mulyati 
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Table 2. Result of hypothesis test two way Anova 
Tests of Between-Subjects Effects 

Dependent Variable:   KBK 

Source 
Type III Sum of 

Squares 
df Mean Square F Sig. 

Corrected Model 2740,365a 3 913,455 8,228 ,000 

Intercept 367476,514 1 367476,514 3309,911 ,000 
METODE 1278,718 1 1278,718 11,518 ,001 

MOTIVASI 1288,915 1 1288,915 11,609 ,002 

METODE * 

MOTIVASI 
273,986 1 273,986 5,054 ,017 

Error 6661,385 60 111,023   

Total 377244,000 64    

Corrected Total 9401,750 63    

a. R Squared = ,419 (Adjusted R Squared = ,406) 

 

Hypothesis test 1  

Referring to the table above, through the 

Tests of Between-Subjects Effects on the 

method line obtained Fcount of 11.518 > 

compared with Ftable (0.05;1.64) = 3.99, then 

obtained its significance coefficient of 0.001 

< 0.05. Thus, the first null Hypothesis in this 

research is rejected, from the F test where 

Fcount > Ftable it is also from the significance 

value which is less than 0.05 (0.001 < 0.05) 

meaning significant. It shows that hypothesis 

that stated there is difference of students’ 

critical thinking ability between the class 

using Project Based Learning (PjBL) method 

and the class using expository method can be 

accepted.  

 

Hypothesis test 2 
On the motivation line is obtained Fcount of 

11.609 > compared with Ftable (0.05;1,64) = 3,99 

then obtained its significance coefficient of 

0.002 < 0.05. Thus, the second null 

Hypothesis in this research is rejected since 

besides proven from the F test where Fcount > 

Ftable it is also from the significance value 

which is less than 0.05 (0.001 < 0.05) 

meaning significant. It shows that hypothesis 

that stated there is difference of students’ 

critical thinking ability between those with 

high and low learning motivation can be 

accepted. From the mean value of both 

experimental and control class, for the 

students with high motivation shows higher 

mean value compared with the mean value of 

critical thinking ability of students with low 

level of motivation. 

Hypothesis test 3 
Referring to the table of result of hypothesis 

test through the Post-Hoc test is obtained its 

significance efficient (p-value) of 0.01 if 

compared with significance level (95% = 

0.05) then it is significant because 0.01 < 

0.05. Thus, the third null Hypothesis in this 

research is rejected, since proven from the 

post-hoc test it is obtained significant result 

(0.01 < 0.05). It means that it shows the 

hypothesis that stated that for students with 

high learning motivation, there is difference 

of critical thinking ability between the 

students in class using PjBL method and the 

students in class using expository method can 

be accepted. 

 

Hypothesis test 4 
Referring to the table of result of hypothesis 

test through the Post-Hoc test is obtained its 

significance efficient (p-value) of 0.04 if 

compared with significance level (95% = 

0.05) then it is significant because 0.04 < 

0.05. Thus, the fourth null Hypothesis in this 

research is rejected, since proven from the 

post-hoc test it is obtained significant result 

(0.04 < 0.05).  It means that it shows the 

hypothesis that stated that for students with 

low learning motivation, there is difference 

of critical thinking ability between the 

students in class using PjBL method and the 

students in class using expository method can 

be accepted. 

 

 

 



Indonesian Journal of Learning and Instruction 
Volume 2, Issue 1, April 2019 

p-ISSN 2614-8250, e-ISSN 2614-5677 
https://journal.uniku.ac.id/index.php/IJLI 

 

75 
 

Hypothesis test 5 
The result of hypothesis test through Tests of 

Between-Subjects Effects on the motivation 

method line obtained Fcount of 5.054 > Ftable 

(0.05;1.64) = 3.99, then obtained its significance 

coefficient of 0.017 < 0.05. Thus, the fifth 

null Hypothesis in this research is rejected, 

since proven from the F test where Fcount > 

Ftable it is also from the significance value 

which is lower than 0.05 (0.017 < 0.05) 

which means significant. It shows that the 

hypothesis that stated that there is an 

interaction between learning method and 

learning motivation in affecting the students’ 

critical thinking ability can be accepted. The 

magnitude of the effect between the two 

independent variables and the interaction can 

explain the variability of dependent variable 

that is 0.406 and the remains of 0.594 is 

affected by the other factors that are not 

observed in this research. 

Based on the result of the research that 

has been conducted, it is obtained that there 

is significant difference between critical 

thinking ability of students using PjBL 

method and students using expository 

method. After finding out the difference, it 

got the fact that experimental class using 

PjBL method has more excellent critical 

thinking ability if compared with control 

class using expository learning method. 

While the results of this research are in line 

with other relevant researches such as the 

research conducted by Jamaludin (2013) with 

thesis entitled “The Effect of Project Based 

Learning (PjBL) on Critical Thinking, 

Creative Thinking, and Scientific Behavior in 

Senior High School Bandung”. It results in 

the conclusion that project based learning can 

develop significantly the ability of critical 

thinking and creative thinking compared with 

conventional learning. 

As stated by Sanjaya (2009, p.175), 

what is meant by expository method is the 

method used by teacher in teaching the 

overall concept. So, if we study more deeply, 

the core of expository method is the learning 

method that emphasizes more on the material 

delivery verbally from a teacher to the 

students with purpose that the students can 

master the lesson material optimally. 

Therefore, expository method which is a 

form of teacher centered approach is 

considered less able to facilitate the higher 

learning process where the main focus of this 

method is the students’ academic skills only. 

agar peserta didik dapat menguasai materi 

pelajaran secara optimal. Coming from the 

theory proposed by Ausubel (Bell, 1981) 

which states that if this expository method is 

not creatively packed well by teacher, then 

the learning will concentrate more on any 

lesson material and less able to involve 

participation and interaction with students.  

From the result of the research above, it 

describes that PjBL method can develop the 

high order thinking skill of students such as 

critical thinking, by using supporting 

constructivism learning, students can develop 

their own thinking ability. Where in this 

method, students creativity and activity can 

help them to stand alone in their cognitive 

life. They will be helped to be person who 

critically analyze something since they are 

thinking not only imitating. Remembering 

that each student has different learning style, 

then PjBL gives chance to the students to dig 

up the content (material) by using many ways 

meaningful for themselves, and conducting 

experiment collaboratively. PjBL method is 

an in-depth investment about a real world 

topic, this is will be valuable for the learning 

process done by the students. 

It is seen when the discussion process 

happens with PjBL method, the students have 

been able to analyze arguments appearing 

from various thoughts proposed by each 

individual. In the question-answer process, 

the students are more enthusiastic to propose 

various questions as the form of curiosity 

inside themselves, while the students who 

have been able to answer various questions 

and problems existing by correlating between 

knowledge they have based in the experience 

they got during the completeness of project at 

the field. So, during the implementation of 

PjBL method, the students can argue by 

using logic and factual proofs. 

From the average score of the students 

with high and low motivation level, it can be 



Iskandar & Sri Mulyati 
The use of project based learning method in developing students’ critical thinking  

76 
 

clearly seen that the average of critical 

thinking ability of students with high 

motivation level is higher than the students 

with low motivation level. Besides, in line 

with what is stated by McClelland (1953, 

p.104) which explicitly stated that someone 

who has high achievement motivation has 

better learning outcomes rather than those 

who have low motivation level. Essentially, 

it can be concluded that there is correlation 

or positive relationship between the level of 

students’ learning motivation on their 

learning outcomes, which means that the 

stronger/higher the learning motivation, the 

better the learning outcomes. Therefore, the 

teachers’ role to manage the learning 

motivation is crucial and can be done through 

various learning activities. 

The result of hypothesis test shows that 

there was interaction between learning 

method and learning motivation significantly 

on the students’ critical thinking ability. In 

this case, the teacher should do things that 

can encourage students in learning. Their 

teaching ability makes themselves as model 

that can arouse the curiosity and the ability 

inside the students is the main asset in 

arousing motivation. Essentially, it can be 

concluded that overall, the use of learning 

method affected the high and low of learning 

motivation and then could affect the 

students’ critical thinking ability together. 

 

CONCLUSION 

Based on the result and data analysis above, 

it can be concluded that there is difference of 

students’ critical thinking ability between 

class which uses Project Based Learning 

(PjBL) method and expository method. It is 

seen from the mean value of students’ critical 

thinking ability for PjBL class is higher than 

the mean value of students’ critical thinking 

ability for control class which used 

expository learning method. It means that the 

project based learning method (PjBL) is 

more effective in developing students’ 

critical thinking ability rather than expository 

method.  

There is difference of students’ critical 

thinking ability between those with high and 

low learning motivation. Where it is seen 

from the mean value of students with high 

motivation level is higher than the mean 

value of critical thinking ability of students 

with low motivation level. It means that the 

critical thinking ability of students with high 

motivation level is more effective than the 

students with low motivation level.  

For students with high learning 

motivation, there is difference of critical 

thinking ability between the students in class 

using PjBL method and the students in class 

using expository method. It is seen from the 

mean value of critical thinking ability of 

students with high motivation level in 

experimental class is higher than the students 

with high motivation level in control class. It 

means that students with high motivation 

level in experimental class by using PjBL 

method is better than the students with high 

motivation level but use expository method 

in control class.    

For students with low learning 

motivation, there is difference of critical 

thinking ability between the students in class 

using PjBL method and the students in class 

using expository method. It is seen from the 

mean value of students with low motivation 

level in experimental class is higher than the 

students with low motivation level in control 

class. It means that students with low 

motivation level in experimental class by 

using PjBL method is better than the students 

with low motivation level but use expository 

method in control class.    

There is an interaction between 

learning method and learning motivation in 

affecting the students’ critical thinking 

ability. It means that the effect of methods on 

the critical thinking ability depends also in 

the students’ learning motivation. It also 

means that learning method and students’ 

motivation level are correlated each other in 

affecting the students’ critical thinking 

ability.  

Some suggestions can be given by the 

writer are as follows: 1) For all teachers, use 

and implement the project based learning 

(PjBL) method in the entrepreneurship 

learning process, since based on the result of 



Indonesian Journal of Learning and Instruction 
Volume 2, Issue 1, April 2019 

p-ISSN 2614-8250, e-ISSN 2614-5677 
https://journal.uniku.ac.id/index.php/IJLI 

 

77 
 

the research, it shows that this project based 

learning (PjBL) method is more effective 

rather than the expository method that is 

often used by the teachers; 2) Based on the 

result of research, it stated that the element of 

students; learning motivation affects much on 

the quality rather than the learning. It is seen 

from the students with high motivation level 

got higher learning outcomes as compared 

with the students with low motivation level. 

Therefore, the teacher should truly pay 

attention to the students as a motivator. Also, 

the teacher needs to grow students’ learning 

motivation. To get optimal learning 

outcomes, the teacher is required to 

creatively arouse the students’ learning 

motivation, so that it can form the students’ 

effective learning behavior; 3) In 

implementing PjBL learning method, it is 

important to pay attention to the 

compatibility of learning material, the 

availability of media and infrastructure, and 

the time division thoroughly. This learning 

method is suitable with the learning material 

related to the content, type and objectives of 

the subject that require the students to be able 

to do analysis of the problems and the 

management of further information through 

more useful solutions; 4) In PjBL method, 

teachers play important role in the 

implementation of learning process, 

therefore, it needs creativity and good class 

management; 5) Teachers should involve the 

students’ participation actively in the activity 

of project implementation, so the knowledge 

got by the students truly attached and the 

learning process can be more meaningful; 

and 6) In the process of PjBL learning, 

teachers should train the students to be 

accustomed to correlate concepts, data, and 

facts in the material they study which exist in 

the students’ environment and analyze them 

well so in the end they can critically take a 

decision that is alternative solution.  

 

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