Developing a Problem-Based Learning E-Module for Descriptive Text in Grade VII English Instruction

Abstract

This study aimed to develop a Problem-Based Learning e-module for descriptive-text material in Grade VII English at a junior high school in Indonesia, and to determine whether the product was valid, practical, and effective for classroom use. Following the Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation (ADDIE) model, the e-module was validated by three experts in subject matter, instructional design, and instructional media, then trialled in three progressively wider stages: an individual trial with three students, a small-group trial with nine students, and a field trial with 30 students. Data were collected using structured Likert-type questionnaires and analyzed descriptively by converting item scores into feasibility percentages. Expert validation rated the product's content, instructional design, and media quality between 85% and 88%, placing it in the Good-to-Excellent range. The individual and small-group trials produced practicality scores of 89.9% and 91.7%, respectively, while the field trial recorded an overall effectiveness score near 91%, with tasks linking problem-solving material to real-life situations rated highest. These results indicate that embedding the Problem-Based Learning syntax within a digitally delivered e-module can produce a resource that is simultaneously valid, practical, and engaging for junior high school English as a Foreign Language learners. The study offers teachers a validated, ready-to-use resource and extends the limited literature on Problem-Based Learning digital materials for junior secondary English learners, a population underrepresented in existing research.