Volume 6.
Number 2, 2025 https://ijble.
com/index.
php/journal/index Application of Project-Based Learning to Improve Communication Skills in Group B at Oasis Malang Kindergarten Amitasari1 .
Mochammad Ramli Akbar2 .
Henni Anggraini3 1,2,3 Early Childhood Education Teacher Education Universitas PGRI Kanjuruhan Malang.
Indonesia Corresponding author: Amitalee30@gmail.
ABSTRACT
This study aims to describe the application of the Project-Based Learning (PjBL) model in improving the communication skills of Group B students at Oasis Kindergarten in Malang.
The type of research used was Classroom Action Research (CAR) with a spiral model from Kemmis and McTaggart (Prihantoro & Hidayat, 2.
, which included the stages of planning, action, observation, and reflection.
The research subjects were 17 students in Group B in the second semester of the 2019/2020 academic year, consisting of 9 male students and 8 female students.
This study was conducted in two cycles, focusing on improving children's communication skills, including listening, storytelling, and answering questions.
The results showed that the application of the Project-Based Learning model could significantly improve children's communication skills.
This improvement was evident from the evaluation results of communication skills, namely storytelling skills increased from 41.
17% to 88.
23%, answering questions skills from 35.
35%, and asking questions skills from 23.
52% to 82.
Based on these results, it can be concluded that the application of Project Based Learning is effective in creating active, collaborative, and meaningful learning that can develop the communication skills of early childhood at Oasis Kindergarten in Malang.
Keywords:
Project-Based Learning (PBL).
Communication Skills INTRODUCTION Early Childhood Education (PAUD) is the main foundation in shaping the personality, character, and basic skills of children, which will be important provisions in the next level of education.
Early childhood is known as the Golden Age, a period in which children's potential develops rapidly, cognitively, affectively, and During this period, children's brains develop up to 80% of their total adult brain development, so all stimuli given will have a major impact on the formation of children's behavior and abilities in the future.
Therefore, learning in PAUD should not only be results-oriented but must also focus on a fun, creative, and meaningful learning process, in accordance with the principle of learning while playing, which is the spirit of early childhood education.
Learning in PAUD should ideally be designed with the characteristics of children in mind, namely that they enjoy moving, playing, imagining, and exploring.
Teachers must be able to create a conducive and engaging learning environment so that children are actively involved in every activity.
According to Suyadi .
, effective learning in early childhood is learning that combines elements of play, cooperation, and providing children with direct experiences.
Through planned play activities, children not only gain knowledge but also learn to interact, express their feelings, and develop communication skills.
One important aspect that needs to be developed in early childhood education is language skills, because language is the main means for children to communicate, think, and express themselves.
Children's language skills cover two main areas.
Volume 6.
Number 2, 2025 https://ijble.
com/index.
php/journal/index namely receptive skills .
istening and readin.
and expressive skills .
peaking and At the age of 5Ae6 years, children are already able to communicate verbally with simple sentence structures, respond to questions, and recount experiences.
According to Hurlock .
, language development in early childhood is greatly influenced by the environment, especially the interaction between children and the adults around them.
Therefore, teachers have an important role in stimulating language skills through various activities, such as storytelling, discussions, roleplaying, and joint projects.
However, based on preliminary observations conducted by researchers in Group B at Oasis Kindergarten in Malang on the theme of "Telephones," it was found that most children still showed low participation in communication activities.
Some children appeared passive, were reluctant to express their opinions, and were more interested in playing alone without interacting with friends or teachers.
The children also had difficulty answering questions and recounting simple experiences.
This shows that language skills, especially children's verbal communication skills, still need to be improved through more innovative learning models that actively involve children.
One alternative learning model that is considered effective for improving children's communication skills is Project Based Learning (PjBL).
This model emphasizes learning activities centered on real projects that are relevant to children's In this model, children are invited to plan, implement, and present project results According to Bintari .
in Permendikbud.
Project Based Learning is a learning model that makes projects the core of the teaching and learning process, where children play an active role in discovering knowledge through exploration and Thus.
PjBL provides ample opportunity for children to develop critical thinking, collaboration, and, above all, effective communication skills.
Empirical studies show that the implementation of Project Based Learning can improve various skills in children, including language skills.
Research by Languju et .
at Kartika Vi-8 Pekayon Kindergarten.
East Jakarta, found that the implementation of the PjBL model was able to improve children's verbal communication skills, including the ability to express opinions, recount experiences, answer questions, understand instructions, and respect the opinions of friends.
The results of the study showed a significant increase from the pre-action average of 57% to 57% in cycle I, and a further increase to 72% in cycle II.
This shows that project-based learning is very effective in developing children's communication skills through contextual and meaningful activities.
Similar research was conducted by Kusumaningrum .
at Dharma Wanita Kindergarten in Sidoarjo, which showed that PjBL can improve the speaking skills of children aged 5Ae6 years.
Through project activities such as making miniature houses and mini gardens, children become more confident in speaking, able to explain their work, and interact actively with their friends.
The improvement in children's language skills was evident from the average speaking ability score, which rose from 60% before the intervention to 85% after two cycles of learning.
These findings reinforce that PjBL creates a learning environment that supports children to communicate naturally and In addition, research by Sulastri .
at Pertiwi Kendal Kindergarten also shows that the use of the PjBL model can improve children's receptive language skills.
Children become more focused on listening to instructions, understanding commands.
Volume 6.
Number 2, 2025 https://ijble.
com/index.
php/journal/index and responding appropriately.
In the context of early childhood education, project activities such as making simple communication tools or mini-dramas are effective means of integrating children's language, social-emotional, and motor skills.
Thus, project-based learning not only fosters communication skills but also develops children's cognitive, affective, and social aspects holistically.
Based on these empirical findings, it can be concluded that the application of the Project-Based Learning model is relevant for improving children's communication skills at the Oasis Malang Kindergarten ( ).
This model not only encourages children to speak but also teaches them to listen, cooperate, and respect others' opinions.
Through interesting and meaningful project activities, children gain real learning experiences while developing confidence in communication.
Thus, the application of PjBL is in line with the principles of early childhood education that are fun, creative, and oriented towards the overall development of children's potential.
Taking into account the actual conditions in the field as well as relevant theoretical and empirical studies, this research was conducted to describe how the application of Project Based Learning can improve the communication skills of Group B students at Oasis Malang Kindergarten.
Through this research, it is hoped that a concrete picture can be obtained regarding the process of implementing the PjBL model, the forms of project activities that are in accordance with the characteristics of early childhood, and the improvements that occur in children's communication skills after this model is implemented.
The results of this study are expected to be a reference for early childhood teachers in designing innovative and effective learning, as well as contributing to improving the quality of early childhood education in Indonesia.
METHOD
This research is classroom action research (CAR), which aims to solve learning problems in the classroom.
The research model used in this study is based on the design by Kemmis Mc Taggart (Prihantoro & Hidayat, 2.
This research has three stages in the research process, namely the planning-action and reflection observation The PTK model diagram used can be seen in the following figure.
Figure 1.
Kemmis and McTaggart's PTK Model (Arikunto .
in Halimah Volume 6.
Number 2, 2025 https://ijble.
com/index.
php/journal/index The subjects of this study were all students in Group B at Oasis Kindergarten.
Jalan Bukit Dieng Permai MH 1.
Kelurahan Pisang Candi.
Kecamatan Sukun.
Malang City in the second semester of the 2019/2020 academic year.
There were 17 students in Group B, consisting of 9 male students and 8 female students.
The research was conducted at Oasis Kindergarten.
Jalan Bukit Dieng Permai MH 1.
Pisang Candi Village.
Sukun District.
Malang City.
Data collection was conducted using observation, documentation, and testing techniques RESULTS AND DISCUSSION After conducting research through the first and second cycles using the ProjectBased Learning (PBL) model in an effort to improve children's communication skills at Oasis Kindergarten in Malang, the following comparison results were obtained:
Table 1 Comparison Results of Cycle I and Cycle II
BB Cycle Cycle Cycle - II
BSB
Prosentase Answering BB MB
BSH BSB
Asking
BB MB
BSH
BSB
41,17
35,29
23,52
11,76 88,23
17,64 82,35
Telling BSH
11,76 47,05
11,76 52,94
35,29 41,17
17,64 82,35
From the results presented above, overall communication skills improved from the initial condition, with storytelling skills increasing from 41.
17% to 88.
answering skills increasing from 35.
29% to 82.
35%, and questioning skills increasing 52% to 82.
Based on the data presented above, the researchers found several new findings, including:
By implementing the Project-Based Learning model at Oasis Kindergarten in Malang, the children's communication skills were successfully improved.
All students became very active in participating in the learning process in Cycle II compared to Cycle I.
This was because all students understood and enjoyed the learning process using the Project-Based Learning (PBL) model (PBL).
In learning conducted using the Project-Based Learning (PBL) model, students and teachers must be more active and able to create a pleasant classroom environment for students.
In improving children's communication skills, the researcher conducted learning using the Project Based Learning (PBL) model.
According to BIE .
in Trianto .
, the Project Based Learning model, often referred to as project-based learning, is a learning method that involves students in problem-solving activities and provides opportunities for students to work autonomously to construct their own learning, culminating in the production of realistic student work.
The use of this learning model has shown an improvement in children's communication skills.
Based on the results of the research conducted by the researcher, it can be seen that there was a significant overall increase in communication skills from the initial condition in the ability to tell stories from 41.
17% to 88.
23%, answering questions Volume 6.
Number 2, 2025 https://ijble.
com/index.
php/journal/index 29% to 82.
35%, and asking questions from 23.
52% to 82.
In accordance with the results of the data presentation, it can be seen that by applying the Project Based Learning model at Oasis Kindergarten in Malang has successfully improved children's communication skills.
Through this model, students became more active in participating in the learning process in Cycle II compared to Cycle I.
This is because the Project Based Learning (PBL) model encourages teachers to be more active and create a pleasant classroom environment for students.
The comparison graph between Cycle I and Cycle II can be seen in Figure 2
88,23
82,35
82,35
41,17
Cycle I 35,29 23,52 Cycle II Telling Answer Asking Figure 2 Comparison Graph of Cycle I and Cycle II Graph 2 shows a significant improvement in children's communication skills in the three main indicators of telling, answering, and asking between Cycle I and Cycle II after the implementation of the Project Based Learning (PjBL) model at Oasis Kindergarten in Malang.
In the storytelling indicator, there was an increase from 17% in Cycle I to 88.
23% in Cycle II.
This means that children began to be able to construct simple sentences, convey ideas with confidence, and recount their learning experiences in a coherent manner.
This shows that the project activities carried out by the children provided them with the space to express themselves freely and dare to perform in front of their friends.
According to Kusumaningrum .
PjBL creates a learning atmosphere that encourages children to tell stories because they are directly involved in the process of creating meaningful projects, so that children's expressive language develops naturally through concrete experiences.
In terms of the ability to answer questions, the increase from 35.
29% to 82.
shows that children increasingly understand the context of questions and are able to provide relevant answers.
This change occurred because project-based learning requires children to interact actively with teachers and friends during the activity Children become more focused on listening to instructions, understanding problems, and participating in group discussions.
These findings are in line with the results of research by Languju.
Suryani, & Fitriani .
, which shows that the implementation of PjBL improves children's verbal communication skills at Kartika Vi8 Kindergarten in East Jakarta, especially in answering questions and explaining ideas The increase from 51.
57% in the pre-action to 72% in cycle II reinforces that PjBL is effective in stimulating children to think and speak actively.
Volume 6.
Number 2, 2025 https://ijble.
com/index.
php/journal/index The questioning ability indicator also showed a significant jump from 23.
52% to 35%, illustrating a behavioral change from passive to active and curious children.
Before the implementation of PjBL, children tended to only listen to instructions without daring to ask questions.
However, after being involved in the planning and implementation of the project, their curiosity grew because they had responsibility for the activities carried out.
These results are consistent with Sulastri's .
research, which found that children who participated in project-based learning became more active in asking questions because these activities fostered curiosity and a sense of ownership of the projects they were working on.
Thus.
PjBL not only develops speaking skills but also the critical and exploratory thinking skills of early childhood.
The significant improvement in all communication indicators in this graph shows that Project Based Learning is capable of creating holistic and meaningful learning.
This model places children as active subjects in learning through direct experience.
The results of this study are in line with Wulandari .
, who concluded that the application of PjBL in early childhood education can improve children's interpersonal communication skills through collaborative and contextual activities.
In group projects, children learn to listen to their friends' opinions, express ideas, and work together to achieve common goals.
These activities provide opportunities for children to develop their language skills more deeply in a real social context.
Overall, the graph shows consistent success between this research and previous empirical findings.
In addition to the three previous studies.
Handayani and Fitri .
also found that the PjBL model improved the communication skills of early childhood children at Pertiwi Surakarta Kindergarten through simple project activities involving discussion and presentation of work results.
Similarly.
Rahmawati .
argued that PjBL was able to improve children's ability to express ideas and answer questions because children felt they had control over their learning process.
Thus, the results of the study at Oasis Kindergarten in Malang reinforce empirical evidence that PjBL is effective as a learning strategy that significantly develops children's communication skillsAiin terms of courage to speak, listening skills, and active CONCLUSION From the results presented above, the researchers can conclude that the application of the Project Based Learning model at Oasis Malang Kindergarten has resulted in an increase in children's communication skills, as indicated by their ability to listen, tell stories, and answer questions.
This is also evidenced by the overall results of communication skills from the initial condition in the ability to tell stories from 17% to 88.
23%, answering from 35.
29% to 82.
35%, and the ability to ask questions 52% to 82.
Based on the results of the data presentation above, it can be seen that implementing the Project Based Learning model at Oasis Malang Kindergarten has succeeded in improving children's communication skills.
Through this model, students became more active in participating in the learning process in Cycle II compared to Cycle I.
This is because the Project-Based Learning (PBL) model encourages teachers to be more active and to create a pleasant classroom environment for Not only that, through this learning model, children also became able to listen, tell stories, and answer questions well.
Volume 6.
Number 2, 2025 https://ijble.
com/index.
php/journal/index Based on the findings in this classroom action research, it is recommended that schools always provide full support for various programs designed by teachers in an effort to improve children's communication skills.
This support can be in the form of providing facilities, training opportunities, and policies that encourage teachers to continue to innovate in learning.
Kindergarten teachers are expected to always be creative and innovative in selecting and applying various fun learning strategies, one of which is through the Project Based Learning model or other forms of innovation relevant to children's needs.
Teachers' creativity in creating an interactive learning atmosphere will help children participate more actively, dare to speak, and be able to express their ideas and feelings well.
In addition, teachers also need to play an active role in every stage of learning, whether in designing activities, assisting children, or evaluating the development of their communication skills.
For future researchers, it is recommended to develop similar studies using more varied media, approaches, or learning models in order to obtain more comprehensive results in efforts to improve the language and communication skills of early childhood.
Acknowledgment The author would like to thank those who have helped in writing this article.
Reference