Exploring Students’ Experiences in Project-Based Learning to Improve Their Speaking Performance

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to investigate the experiences of three university students with Project-Based Learning (PjBL) and how it affects their speaking development, in terms of confidence, fluency, and idea organization. This study aims to understand how students respond to PjBL activities, the experiences they gain, and the challenges they face. A qualitative approach was applied using in-depth interviews to collect data. The three participants were purposively selected to gain an in-depth understanding of their experiences rather than generalization. The findings show that PjBL contributes to students’ speaking development, especially in confidence, fluency, and idea organization. It also creates a student-centered learning environment where learners actively engage in meaningful communication. However, students still face challenges such as time management and group coordination. Overall, this study highlights that PjBL can support speaking skill development and emphasizes the importance of teacher guidance and feedback in improving students’ speaking performance in English language learning.