Integration of Local Wisdom-Based Project-Based Learning to Improve High School Students' English Speaking Skills in Buru Regency

Abstract

Developing high school students’ English speaking skills in EFL contexts like Buru Regency remains challenging due to low self-confidence, teacher-centered methods, and a lack of authentic communicative opportunities. Integrating Project-Based Learning (PjBL) with local wisdom presents a contextual approach to address these issues. This study aims to analyze the improvement in students’ English speaking skills following the implementation of local wisdom-based PjBL, describe its instructional syntax, and identify the supporting and hindering factors during implementation. Employing a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, the study involved 72 tenth-grade students divided equally into an experimental class (local wisdom-based PjBL) and a control class (conventional instruction). Quantitative data were collected via pre- and post-tests analyzed through inferential statistics (t-test), while qualitative data were gathered through observations, interviews, and documentation analyzed thematically. Quantitative results revealed a statistically significant improvement in the experimental class’s speaking mean score, rising from 59.44 to 76.00, compared to the control class (t = 17.825, p < 0.001). Qualitatively, the seven-stage PjBL syntax successfully shifted students into active learners. Key supporting factors included prior schema activation, reduced language anxiety, and authentic speaking autonomy. Conversely, time constraints, initial linguistic deficits, first-language dominance in group work, and limited out-of-school exposure were identified as main obstacles. Integrating local wisdom into PjBL serves as an effective pedagogical strategy to enhance English speaking competence and student engagement in culturally rich regions.