PROJECT BASED LEARNING: TO IMPROVE STUDENT LEARNING INDEPENDENCE

Microeconomics is the foundation subject of man) advanced subjects in domain of economics education programs. For comprehensive understanding about this topic, students needs to learning independently. Independent learning ''ill complemem the student's understanding from what they got in the classroom. Unfortunately, independent learning is becoming a c lassic problem in microeconomics
subject. Study habits of the students in the previous level which many depend on the classroom activity was still attached at the beginning level of the college. With project-based learning (PBL), researchers encourage the students to associate the insights that gained i~ the classroom into the ideas which must be confirmed in real circumstances. The purpose of this research is to improve student learning independence with project-based learning methcd. This research is a classroom action research
which conducted in microeconornic subject in economic education department at the State University of Medan, Indonesia. Three cycles have been implemented. After third cycle. the stltdents begin to show changes in learning sty les. Students began to be not depend on the mandatory literature !hat provided by the teaching team. Students began to feel need of other literature beside of mand3tory literature to comply an explanation of the phenomena that they found when implementing a project. Thus. students studied independently to resolve their problem. This study recommends the application of project-based learning on micro-economic subject and other relevant subjects. Basic subjects, such as
microeconomics, has a critical point for other subjects. The level of understanding of this subject will
affect the students absorption level in next advanced subject. The use of project-based learning is able
to encourage independent learning for comprehensive understanding of the subject material.