This study aimed to obtain empirical evidence of the students’ perceptions of the effectiveness of Project-Based Learning to improve English writing skills of the 10th-grade students of SMA Islam Sultan Agung 01 Semarang. The type of this research is qualitative research. The population in this study was the 10th-grade students who had experienced having the independent curriculum and the project-based learning method in the classes. The sample in this study was six students, with the provision of two high-achieving students, two moderate-achieving students, and two low-achieving students. Data were collected in the form of interviews. Before conducting the interview, the researcher observed the school. The research results show that project-based learning is one of the methods students like. The project-based learning method is quite effective for improving writing skills. On the other hand there are weaknesses in project based learning, including: it takes a lot of time to solve problems, requires a lot of money, and there are students who are less active in group work. This method also improved students’ writing skills because students felt happy and enjoyed in learning process. All informants stated that project-based learning was effective in improving writing skills.

Keywords: students’ perception, writing skill, project-based learning