Exploring Students’ Attitudes and Motivation Toward Project-Based Learning in Speaking Classes: A Study of Third-Semester English Education Students at a University

Jamiatul Khoiriah Hsb, M. Zaim

Abstract


This study investigates the attitudes and motivations of third-semester students in the English Education Study Program at FKIP Universitas Islam Riau (UIR) towards the implementation of Project-Based Learning (PBL) in speaking classes. As PBL becomes an increasingly popular pedagogical method, understanding students' responses is crucial for optimizing its application. A descriptive research design was employed, using questionnaires and interviews to collect data. The study focused on three dimensions of attitude—cognitive, affective, and behavioral—and examined both intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors. The findings reveal that students generally hold positive attitudes toward PBL. Cognitive attitude received the highest average score (78.77%), followed by affective (77.87%) and behavioral components (75.03%). Motivation levels were also high, with extrinsic motivation (79.40%) slightly exceeding intrinsic motivation (75.97%). These results indicate that PBL fosters both student engagement and motivation in speaking classes. The positive reception suggests that PBL effectively promotes self-regulated learning, collaboration, and practical language use. However, the study also identified challenges, particularly in time management and the need for continuous instructor support. Project-Based Learning is well-received among UIR English Education students and contributes positively to speaking skill development. Future research should include other institutions to enhance the generalizability of findings.

Keywords


attitudes and motivation; project based learning (PBL); speaking skills

Full Text:

PDF

References


Abidin, M. J. Z. (2012). EFL students’ attitudes towards learning English language: The case of Libyan secondary school students. Asian Social Science, 8(2), 119–134. https://doi.org/10.5539/ass.v8n2p119

Apriyanti, D. (2018). Project-based learning: A method to improve students’ public speaking skills. Journal of English Education and Teaching, 2(2), 142–151. https://doi.org/10.33369/jeet.2.2.142-151

Allport, G. W. (1954). The nature of prejudice. Addison-Wesley.

Bell, S. (2010). Project-based learning for the 21st century: Skills for the future. The Clearing House, 83(2), 39–43. https://doi.org/10.1080/00098650903505415

Brown, H. D. (1994). Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language pedagogy. Prentice Hall.

Bygate, M. (2009). Teaching and testing speaking. In M. H. Long & C. J. Doughty (Eds.), The handbook of language teaching (pp. 412–440). Wiley-Blackwell.

Chen, C. M. (2014). Analyzing EFL learners’ motivation and attitudes toward learning English as a foreign language. International Journal of English Language Education, 2(3), 233–244. https://doi.org/10.5296/ijele.v2i3.6118

Cheng, H. F., & Ho, Y. Y. (2001). A study on language learning motivation and strategy use of university students. Selected Papers from the Tenth International Symposium on English Teaching, 87–100.

Dörnyei, Z., & Ushioda, E. (2011). Teaching and researching motivation (2nd ed.). Pearson Education.

Eagly, A. H., & Chaiken, S. (1993). The psychology of attitudes. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

Gardner, R. C. (1985). Social psychology and second language learning: The role of attitudes and motivation. Edward Arnold.

Goh, C. C. M., & Burns, A. (2012). Teaching speaking: A holistic approach. Cambridge University Press.

Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M. B., & Cope, J. (1986). Foreign language classroom anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 70(2), 125–132. https://doi.org/10.2307/327317

Kemendikbud. (2020). Kebijakan Merdeka Belajar – Kampus Merdeka. Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Republik Indonesia.

Kim, S. (2006). Academic oral communication needs of East Asian international graduate students in non-science and non-engineering fields. English for Specific Purposes, 25(4), 479–489.

Kokotsaki, D., Menzies, V., & Wiggins, A. (2016). Project-based learning: A review of the literature. Improving Schools, 19(3), 267–277. https://doi.org/10.1177/1365480216659733

Kormos, J., Kiddle, T., & Csizér, K. (2011). Systems of goals, attitudes, and self-related beliefs in second-language-learning motivation. Applied Linguistics, 32(5), 495–516.

Nugroho, A. A., & Anugerahwati, M. (2019). Project-based learning to enhance speaking skills and self-confidence of undergraduate EFL students. Lingua Cultura, 13(3), 229–236. https://doi.org/10.21512/lc.v13i3.5580

Oroujlou, N., & Vahedi, M. (2011). Motivation, attitude, and language learning. International Conference on Education and Educational Psychology, 29, 994–1000.

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and new directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25(1), 54–67. https://doi.org/10.1006/ceps.1999.1020

Seftika, M., Januarius, T., Abdurrachman, A., & Zulfa, M. (2021). The implementation of project-based learning to improve speaking skills in 21st century education. Journal of English Language Teaching and Learning, 2(1), 29–38.

Thomas, J. W. (2000). A review of research on project-based learning. The Autodesk Foundation.

Ur, P. (1996). A course in language teaching: Practice and theory. Cambridge University Press.

Vibulphol, J. (2016). Students’ motivation and learning and teachers’ motivational strategies in English classrooms in Thailand. English Language Teaching, 9(4), 64–75.

Zeinivand, M., Azizifar, A., & Gowhary, H. (2015). The impact of attitude and motivation on the Iranian EFL learners’ speaking skill. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 199, 426–432.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.35445/alishlah.v17i3.6902

Refbacks



Copyright (c) 2025 Jamiatul Khoiriah Hsb

Al-Ishlah Jurnal Pendidikan Abstracted/Indexed by:

    

 


 

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.