Project-Based History Learning and Student Engagement: A Classroom Action Study at an Indonesian Senior High School

Abstract

This classroom action study examines Project-Based Learning (PjBL) as a strategy for strengthening student activity in Grade XI history at SMA Negeri 15 Padang. Thirty-two students participated in a pre-cycle observation and two action cycles, each consisting of two meetings. Student activity was observed across visual, listening, oral, writing, mental, and emotional dimensions. The average activity level increased from 39.3% in the pre-cycle to 71.05% in Cycle 1 and 81.6% in Cycle 2, exceeding the predetermined 70% success criterion. The project sequence required students to respond to essential questions, plan and schedule work, gather and communicate information, produce project outcomes, and reflect on the learning process. The findings suggest that project organization can redistribute responsibility from teacher explanation toward student inquiry and production. Because the evidence derives from classroom observation in a single class, the results are interpreted as local improvement rather than generalized causal effectiveness. The study clarifies how project structure can support participation in history learning without equating activity with historical reasoning.