The Effect of Problem-Based Learning on Students’ Speaking Skill of the Eight Grade Students at SMP Swasta Anastasia Medan the Academic Year of 2024/2025

This research aims to investigate the effect of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) on the speaking skills of eighth-grade students at SMP Swasta Anastasia Medan in the Academic Year 2024/2025. The study employed a quasi-experimental method with a pre-test and post-test design involving two groups: the experimental group taught using the PBL approach and the control group taught using conventional methods. The data collection instrument was a speaking test assessed based on five aspects: fluency, pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and task comprehension. The results revealed an improvement in speaking skills in both groups after the treatment. The experimental group’s mean score increased by 25.26 points, while the control group’s mean score increased by 17.26 points. However, the independent sample t-test showed a statistically significant difference between the two groups, with a t-value of 4.98 exceeding the critical value of ±2.015 at the 0.05 significance level. Thus, the null hypothesis was rejected and the alternative hypothesis was accepted, confirming that PBL has a significant effect on students' speaking skills. These findings reinforce the effectiveness of PBL in enhancing students’ speaking abilities while also fostering critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. Therefore, it is recommended for English teachers to apply PBL as an alternative teaching strategy to improve students’ speaking competence at the junior high school level.