The application of problem based learning to improve students’ self-efficacy

Abstract

The learning process should be interactive, inspiring, fun, challenging, and motivating students to actively participate. Such learning can be accomplished if students have belief in their skills or are often called as self-efficacy. One approach that can facilitate students to build their knowledge and improve student self-efficacy is Problem Based Learning (PBL). PBL helps students to develop thinking skills and problem-solving skills, learn the roles of adults, and become self-sufficient learners. The purpose of this research was to improve students’ self-efficacy using PBL on the material of enumeration rules. The action of this research will be successful if students’ self-efficacy increased with very high category become 3.3% (1 student), high category become 26.7% (8 students), and moderate category become 46.7% (14 students). The average of students’ self-efficacy is in the moderate category. This research was classroom action research consisting of four stages, namely planning, action, observation, and reflecting. The subject was 30 students grade XII of Senior High School 1 Sedayu, Argomulyo, Bantul, Special Region of Yogyakarta. The result showed that after several cycles, students’ self-efficacy improved. Student self-efficacy increases and meets the targets set in cycle II. The target and increase of each cycle can be seen in table 1. In cycle II, students’ self-efficacy improved and fulfilled the predetermined target because of the reflection of cycle I which was then taken into consideration for action in cycle II. Based on the results, the application of learning with PBL approach can improve student self-efficacy.