STUDENTS' LEARNING EXPERIENCES AND PERCEIVED SPEAKING DEVELOPMENT THROUGH VLOG-BASED PROJECT-BASED LEARNING

This study aims to explore junior high school students' learning experiences and their perceived speaking development during the implementation of vlog-based Project-Based Learning (PjBL) in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom. This study employed a qualitative approach with a case study design. The primary data were collected through semi-structured interviews with six ninth-grade students selected through purposive sampling, consisting of two high-achieving, two middle-achieving, and two low-achieving students who participated in a vlog project themed “Traveling with Your Friends” at a public junior high school in Garut, West Java. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis based on Braun and Clarke (2006). The findings reveal that students experienced a learning process involving active engagement, participation across project stages, collaboration with group members, and various challenges such as pronunciation difficulties, limited vocabulary, and speaking anxiety in front of the camera. Nonetheless, students reported decreasing anxiety and increasing motivation throughout the project. Regarding their perceived speaking development, students perceived improvements in fluency, confidence, willingness to communicate, and mastery of pronunciation and vocabulary, although the extent of improvement varied among high-, middle-, and low-achieving students. These findings confirm that vlog-based project learning can serve as a meaningful strategy to support junior high school students' speaking development, while highlighting the importance of emotional and collaborative support throughout the learning process. ABSTRAK Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengeksplorasi pengalaman belajar siswa sekolah menengah pertama serta persepsi mereka terhadap perkembangan kemampuan berbicara selama penerapan Project-Based Learning (PjBL) berbasis vlog dalam kelas Bahasa Inggris sebagai Bahasa Asing (EFL). Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan desain studi kasus. Data utama dikumpulkan melalui wawancara semi-terstruktur terhadap enam siswa kelas sembilan yang dipilih melalui purposive sampling, terdiri atas dua siswa berkemampuan tinggi, dua siswa berkemampuan sedang, dan dua siswa berkemampuan rendah yang berpartisipasi dalam proyek vlog bertema "Traveling with Your Friends" di sebuah SMP negeri di Garut, Jawa Barat. Data dianalisis menggunakan analisis tematik berdasarkan Braun dan Clarke (2006). Temuan menunjukkan bahwa siswa mengalami proses belajar yang melibatkan keterlibatan aktif, partisipasi di berbagai tahap proyek, kolaborasi dengan anggota kelompok, serta berbagai tantangan seperti kesulitan pelafalan, keterbatasan kosakata, dan kecemasan berbicara di depan kamera. Meskipun demikian, siswa melaporkan penurunan kecemasan dan peningkatan motivasi sepanjang proyek berlangsung. Terkait persepsi perkembangan kemampuan berbicara, siswa merasakan peningkatan dalam kelancaran, kepercayaan diri, kemauan untuk berkomunikasi, serta penguasaan pelafalan dan kosakata, meskipun tingkat peningkatan tersebut bervariasi antara siswa berkemampuan tinggi, sedang, dan rendah. Temuan ini menegaskan bahwa pembelajaran berbasis proyek melalui vlog dapat menjadi strategi yang bermakna untuk mendukung perkembangan kemampuan berbicara siswa sekolah menengah pertama, sekaligus menyoroti pentingnya dukungan emosional dan kolaboratif sepanjang proses pembelajaran.