This study explores the challenges English teachers report experiencing in teaching English at SMK Negeri 4 Pandeglang and the strategies they use to address those challenges. A qualitative descriptive design was employed with five English teachers selected purposively because of their direct experience in vocational English classrooms. Data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews and analyzed using cross-participant thematic analysis. Seven interrelated challenge themes emerged: limited linguistic readiness and student engagement; psychological barriers to oral communication; institutional and resource constraints; pedagogical challenges in managing diverse learners; curriculum and material alignment challenges; limited vocational-specific professional development; and contextual inequalities affecting English learning. Four broad strategy themes were identified: adapting and contextualizing learning materials; scaffolding language use and building confidence; managing interaction, feedback, and classroom constraints; and strengthening vocational relevance through authenticity and collaboration. Material adaptation was the only specific strategy reported across all five participants. The findings indicate that teachers did not rely on a single instructional method. Instead, they selected strategies according to the linguistic, affective, institutional, curricular, and occupational demands they encountered. Vocational relevance emerged as the cross-cutting principle connecting both challenges and strategies. The study concludes that sustainable vocational English teaching requires both teacher-level adaptation and institutional support for major-specific materials, professional development, collaboration, and authentic workplace-oriented learning.
This study aimed to analyze the types of teacher talk that influence student involvement in elementary English learning. The study was motivated by the important role of classroom interaction in promoting active learning, while evidence regarding how specific teacher talk strategies shape student involvement in elementary English classrooms remains limited. A qualitative approach with a case study design was employed. Data were collected through classroom observations, field notes, lesson videos, and observation sheets and were analyzed thematically using ATLAS.ti. The analysis focused on identifying teacher talk types and examining their relationships with indicators of student involvement, including attention, verbal response, active participation, concentration, enthusiasm, instruction following, and classroom interaction. The findings revealed that the most prominent teacher talk types were asking questions, giving information or explanations, affirming students’ contributions, giving directions or instructions, and stimulating students’ motivation and interest. Among these, asking questions most effectively encouraged active participation by eliciting verbal responses and promoting classroom interaction. Giving information or explanations sustained students’ attention to lesson content, whereas clear directions and instructions supported students’ understanding of learning activities and maintained their engagement throughout the lesson. These findings demonstrate that teacher talk functions not only as a means of content delivery but also as a pedagogical strategy for fostering student involvement and creating interactive English learning environments in elementary classrooms.
Denisa Nur Octaliani, Imam Santosa· Jurnal Pendidikan dan Pengaj...· 0 citations
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