USING PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE THE SPEAKING SKILLS OF STUDENTS AT ABU HURAIRAH INTERMEDIATE SCHOOLFOR MATRAM

Abstract

whatThe teaching of Arabic at the intermediate level continues to face challenges, particularly in developing speaking skills. Many students can understand the theoretical rules of the language, but they struggle to express their thoughts and feelings orally with fluency and accuracy. This indicates that the teaching methods used are insufficient to develop students' genuine communication skills. Therefore, there is a need to implement more interactive and contextual teaching strategies, most notably Problem-Based Learning (PBL), which encourages students to think actively, discuss, and express themselves in Arabic within realistic life situations. This research aims to determine the effectiveness of using the Problem-Based Learning strategy in improving the Arabic speaking skills of students at Abu Hurayrah Integrated Intermediate School in Mataram during the 2025/2026 academic year. The researcher used a quantitative approach with an experimental design using a pre-test and post-test for a single group. The research sample consisted of twenty-five eighth-grade students selected using purposive sampling. An oral test was used to assess fluency, accuracy, vocabulary, and pronunciation, and the data were analyzed using a t-test. The results showed statistically significant differences between the pre-test and post-test scores at the (Sig. < 0.05) level, indicating a marked improvement in speaking skills after implementing the PBL strategy. Problem-based learning (PBL) is an effective method for improving Arabic speaking skills and enhancing students' self-confidence, interaction, and critical thinking.