The Development of Problem-Based Learning in English Language Education Through Academic Literature
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29240/ef.v9i1%20May.12836Keywords:
CIPP model program evaluation. Online English Study Program, Problem-Based Learning, English Language Education, Critical Thinking, Student Engagement, Language Proficiency, Technological Integration, 21st-Century SkillsAbstract
With this study, the authors explore the evolution of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) in English language education and its substantial contribution to language proficiency, critical thinking, and student engagement. With technology evolving at a fast pace and world becoming a global village, the conventional means of education are slowly dying and are not enough to prepare students for the challenges of the 21st century. In response to these challenges, Project-Based Learning (PBL) has mature as a student-centered approach that promotes relevant and real-world problems and tasks, active learning, and collaboration. The corresponding research brings together research published from 1980 through 2024, emphasizing the period of 2019–2024. Employing thematic analysis, three main themes emerged from the literature, which were language proficiency, developing critical thinking skills, challenges in implementing PBL, and technological integration. The research shows that PBL leads to higher levels of language proficiency, especially in speaking and writing, promotes critical thinking, and increases engagement among learners. However, many barriers exist, including lack of teacher preparation and limited curriculum and materials availability. Finally, the paper concludes that the potential of PBL in English language education is maximized with teacher training, curricular flexibility, and equitable access to technology.
Downloads
References
Aeni, N., & Apriani, E. (2022). The 4c competencies in efl hybrid classroom. Lecture and Innovation for, 96. https://doi.org/10.59890/ijsas.v1i5.838.
Alghamdy, Z. R. (2023). Efficacy of Problem-Based Learning Strategy to Enhance EFL Learners’ Paragraph Writing and Grammar Skills. Arab World English Journal, 14(1), 43–58. https://doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol14no1.3.
Apriani, E., Muthmainnah, M., Wijayanti, E., Kons, B. A., & Al Yakin, A. (2024). Accelerating Student's Creativity in Writing Paragraphs through Artificial Intelligence Technology. In AI-Oriented Competency Framework for Talent Management in the Digital Economy (pp. 305-322). CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003440901-19.
Apriani, E., Arsyad, S., Syafryadin, S., Supardan, D., Gusmuliana, P., & Santiana, S. (2022). ICT platforms for Indonesian EFL students viewed from gender during the COVID-19 pandemic. Studies in English Language and Education, 9(1), 187-202.
https://doi.org/10.24815/siele.v9i1.21089.
Barrows, H. S., & Tamblyn, R. M. (1980). Problem-based learning: An approach to medical education. Springer Publishing Company.
Booth, A., Sutton, A., Clowes, M., & Martyn, M.-S. J. (2016). Systematic Approaches to a Successful Literature Review (third). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa.
Hmelo-Silver, C. E. (2004). Problem-Based Learning: What and How Do Students Learn? Educational Psychology Review, 16(3), 235–266. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:EDPR.0000034022.16470.f3.
Jaleniauskiene, E., & Lisaite, D. (2023). Scoping review methodology and its use to review online project-based learning in higher education, 2020-2023. Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning, 17(2). https://doi.org/10.14434/ijpbl.v17i2.36659.
Kök, F. Z., & Duman, B. (2023). The effect of problem-based learning on problem-solving skills in English language teaching. Journal of Pedagogical Research, 7(1), 154–173. https://doi.org/10.33902/JPR.202318642.
Mckenzie, J. A. (2013). Models of intellectual disability: towards a perspective of (poss)ability. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 57(4), 370–379. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2788.2012.01547.x.
OECD. (2021). Education at a Glance 2021.
Orhan, A. (2025). Investigating the Effectiveness of Problem Based Learning on Academic Achievement in EFL Classroom: A Meta-Analysis. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 34(2), 699–709. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-024-00889-4.
Piaget, J. (1973). To understand is to invent: The future of education. New York, NY: Viking Press.
Prabowo, J., Rukmini, D., Saleh, M., & Hartono, R. (2021). Portraiting the Implementation of Project Based Learning in Teaching Narrative Text for EFL Students with Personality Traits: Introversion and Extroversion (Vol. 7, Issue 1). https://proceeding.unnes.ac.id/index.php/iset.
Richards, J. C. (2006). Communicative Language Teaching Today. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
Richards, J. C. (2014). Approaches and methods in language teaching (3rd ed.). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
Schunk, D. H. (2019). Learning theories: An educational perspective (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.
Trilling, B., & Fadel, C. (2009). 21st century skills: Learning for life in our times. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass/Wiley.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: the Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
World Economic Forum. (2020). The future of jobs report 2020. Geneva, Switzerland: World Economic Forum.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Citation Check
License
Copyright (c) 2025 fauziyatul uzma, Siti Drivoka Sulistyaningrum, Ratna Dewanti
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
