This study investigated the use of story-based tasks through reading aloud to enhance elementary school students’ speaking and critical thinking skills. The study employed a one-group pretest–posttest design involving 26 elementary school students at a private primary school in Yogyakarta. Students’ speaking performance was assessed in terms of pronunciation, fluency, and intonation, while critical thinking was assessed through understanding, reasoning, and connecting. Quantitative data were obtained from speaking and critical thinking assessments administered before and after the intervention, while students’ responses, worksheets, and classroom observations provided supporting qualitative data. The findings indicated substantial improvement in students’ reading-aloud performance, with the mean score increasing from 4.6 in the pre-test to 9.4 in the post-test on a 12-point scale. Students’ critical thinking scores also increased from 4.6 to 6.8. Qualitative evidence further indicated that students became more willing to participate, demonstrated better comprehension of story content, expressed simple opinions, and reused story dialogues creatively in new contexts. These findings suggest that story-based tasks integrated with reading aloud can support the development of young learners’ oral English proficiency and provide meaningful opportunities for emerging critical thinking
Iin Inawati, Ratri Nur Hidayati, Rahmi Munfangati· Global Synthesis in Educatio...· 0 citations
Academic and professional writing remains a significant challenge for English Language Teaching (ELT) students, particularly in managing grammatical accuracy and organizing ideas effectively. Recent discussions in language education emphasize the importance of deeper learning approaches that support students’ cognitive and emotional engagement during writing tasks. This study draws on the framework of deep learning, particularly the concepts of meaningful learning, mindful learning, and joyful learning, to examine ELT students’ writing experiences in academic and professional contexts. Using a qualitative case study design, the research involved five ELT students who had experience completing academic writing assignments. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the qualitative analysis framework proposed by Miles and Huberman. The findings revealed that students employed several writing strategies, including planning, revising drafts, and using external resources to address grammar-related challenges. These strategies were closely connected to meaningful learning through task relevance, mindful learning through awareness of writing processes, and joyful learning through positive engagement during writing activities. The study suggests that integrating meaningful, mindful, and joyful learning into writing instruction can enhance students’ engagement, self-regulation, and writing development in ELT contexts
