Jul 2026· Journal La Edusci· 0 citations· 32 references
Abstract
Writing in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) represents one of the most demanding competencies for Indonesian junior high school students, particularly those enrolled in Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) where instructional time is constrained by dual academic and religious curricula. This study examined the effectiveness of the Microselection Learning Strategy in improving descriptive text writing skills among ninth-grade female students at Khoirotul Usroh Islamic Boarding School, Stabat, Langkat Regency, North Sumatra, Indonesia. A Classroom Action Research (CAR) design based on the Kemmis and McTaggart cyclical model was employed across two cycles over five weeks, involving all 36 female students as participants through a saturated sampling technique. Data were collected using pre-tests and post-tests evaluated with a five-dimension rubric (title, identification, description, vocabulary, and closing), supplemented by observation sheets, semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, and documentation. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive percentage statistics; qualitative data followed Miles and Huberman's reduction–display–conclusion framework. Results showed a dramatic improvement in classical mastery: from 13.89% in the pre-test to 50.00% after Cycle I, and reaching 100.00% at the conclusion of Cycle II. The class mean score rose from approximately 46.9 to 87.1 points. Qualitative findings corroborated these gains, documenting improvements in vocabulary selection, sentence cohesion, paragraph organisation, and student confidence. The Microselection strategy proved highly effective as a scaffolded, cognitive-theory-grounded approach to EFL writing instruction in a boarding school context.
Writing ability is a crucial skill in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning; however, many vocational high school students still experience difficulties in developing ideas, organizing texts, using appropriate vocabulary, and applying grammatical structures in descriptive writing. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Personal Journal Writing on vocational high school students’ descriptive writing achievement and to examine its contribution to students’ ability to organize ideas, use vocabulary, and apply grammatical structures. This research employed a quantitative approach using a quasi-experimental pre-test–post-test control group design. The participants were 50 eleventh-grade students at SMK Al Azmi Seidadap, North Sumatra, Indonesia, consisting of an experimental group and a control group, each comprising 25 students. Data were collected through descriptive writing tests and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Shapiro–Wilk normality test, Levene’s test, and an independent-samples t-test using IBM SPSS Statistics. The results revealed that the experimental group showed a higher improvement in writing achievement, with the mean score increasing from 59.88 in the pre-test to 81.96 in the post-test, while the control group improved from 59.84 to 66.84. The independent-samples t-test indicated a statistically significant difference between the two groups (t(48) = 9.376, p < .001). These findings demonstrate that Personal Journal Writing significantly improves students’ descriptive writing ability by supporting idea development, vocabulary enrichment, text organization, and grammatical accuracy. Therefore, Personal Journal Writing is recommended as an effective learner-centered strategy for enhancing EFL writing instruction in vocational high schools.
English writing is considered one of the most difficult skills for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners, although some students achieve excellent writing proficiency despite learning in a non-English-speaking environment. This study explored how successful senior high school students developed their English writing skills. Using a qualitative case study design, the research was conducted at SMA Katolik Santo Petrus Kanisius Palangka Raya, Indonesia. The participants consisted of ten purposively selected Grade XI students with strong writing performance and one English teacher as a supporting informant. Data were collected through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis, and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis. The findings revealed four key practices that supported writing development: planning through brainstorming and outlining, applying multiple learning strategies such as reading, digital resources, and vocabulary building, engaging in regular writing practice with persistence and positive attitudes, and improving writing through self-editing and teacher feedback. These interconnected practices enhanced students’ organization, language accuracy, vocabulary, and overall writing quality. The study highlights that successful writing development results from the integration of cognitive, behavioral, and reflective processes, emphasizing the importance of process-oriented writing instruction in EFL classrooms.
Tri Aprilia Suciati, M. Luardini, N. Asi· Esteem Journal of English Ed...· 0 citations
Microteaching plays an important role in preparing pre-service English teachers to develop essential teaching skills before engaging in actual classroom practice. This study aimed to describe and analyze the teaching skills demonstrated by fifth-semester students of the English Education Study Program at Panca Sakti University Bekasi during a Micro Teaching course. The study employed a descriptive design combining quantitative descriptive and qualitative analyses. The participants were 16 fifth-semester students enrolled in the Micro Teaching course during the 2024/2025 academic year. Data were collected through structured observations of students’ microteaching performances and semi-structured interviews. Observation data were analyzed using percentages to describe the application of each teaching skill, while interview data were analyzed through data organization, coding, categorization, and interpretation to complement the observation findings. The results revealed variations across the ten teaching skills examined. The use of teaching media achieved the highest percentage (95%), followed by explaining (82%), opening (78%), and variation skills (75%). In contrast, small-group discussion showed the lowest percentage (20%), followed by organizing small-group and individual work (43%) and reinforcement skills (48%). These findings indicate that the students demonstrated stronger teacher-directed instructional skills than interactive and learner-centered teaching skills. Therefore, microteaching should provide more structured opportunities for repeated practice, feedback, and reflection to strengthen interactive teaching skills and promote a more balanced development of pre-service English teachers’ teaching competence.
Yanti Rusmiati· JPGENUS: Jurnal Pendidikan G...· 0 citations
This study investigated the implementation of reciprocal teaching to improve expository text reading literacy in a Grade VI inclusive classroom in Indonesian primary education, with particular attention to three students identified as slow learners. A Classroom Action Research (CAR) design following the Kemmis and McTaggart cyclical model was employed across two intervention cycles. Participants consisted of 27 students at SDN 003 Sangatta Utara, Kutai Timur, of whom three (coded MAA, DDG, and VCH) required intensive reading support. Data were collected through a reading literacy test, student activity observation sheets, teacher performance observation sheets, semi-structured interviews, and documentary evidence, and were analyzed using quantitative descriptive statistics and qualitative interactive analysis with cross-source triangulation. Results showed that classical mastery increased from 44.44% at baseline to 70.37% after Cycle 1 and 88.89% after Cycle 2, surpassing the 80% success criterion. Mean student learning activity rose from 68.4% to 84.0%, and teacher instructional performance improved from 85.5% to 92.0%. The three slow learner students, whose baseline scores ranged from 52 to 58, all exceeded the minimum competency threshold by the end of Cycle 2, achieving individual gains of 25 to 26 points. These findings indicate that a scaffolding-to-fading instructional sequence within reciprocal teaching can support both whole-class literacy development and the individual progress of slow learner students in an inclusive primary classroom setting.
Rumayatun Ni’mah, S. Suyantiningsih· Journal of Innovation and Re...· 0 citations
Writing is one of the most fundamental language skills in elementary education, yet it remains a persistent challenge due to passive and teacher-centered instructional approaches. This study aims to improve the simple essay writing skills of third-grade students at SDN 01 Pasirmuncang, Caringin District, Bogor Regency, through the implementation of interactive picture media. In the pre-cycle phase, only 11 out of 36 students (30.56%) met the Minimum Mastery Criteria (KKM ≥ 80), with a class average score of 74.6, indicating critically low writing proficiency. This study employed a Classroom Action Research (CAR) design following the Kemmis and McTaggart cyclical model, conducted over two action cycles in the even semester of the 2025/2026 academic year. Data were collected through written essay production tests and structured classroom observation sheets, then analyzed using quantitative descriptive and qualitative methods. The results showed a consistent and significant improvement across cycles: the class average score rose from 74.6 (pre-cycle) to 78.7 (Cycle I) and reached 82.9 (Cycle II), while the classical completion rate increased from 30.56% to 61.11% in Cycle I and further to 86.11% in Cycle II, successfully surpassing the 75% success indicator. These gains were driven by the shift from single static images to sequential interactive picture series in Cycle II, combined with individualized desk-by-desk teacher guidance. In conclusion, interactive picture media effectively scaffolds students' writing process by transforming abstract idea generation into concrete, structured visual experiences, thereby improving SPOK sentence construction, spelling accuracy, and writing self-confidence in elementary Indonesian language learning
N. Alamsyah, Briliani Fitri Fadhillah· Educational Researcher Journ...· 0 citations
Problem-based learning (PBL) has gained momentum in English for specific purpose (ESP) education, yet little is known about how PBL functions in vocational higher education settings for accounting for students’ writing. This study investigated the effectiveness, benefits, and challenges associated with accounting students’ writing performance. This study employs a mixed-methods design involving 60 students from one of the state polytechnics in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. The experimental group (N=30) experienced PBL, and the control group (N=30) received conventional learning. Data were collected through writing tests to investigate students’ improvement in their writing performance, and interviews to explore students’ perceptions of benefits and challenges. The results of the writing test were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics via SPSS, and the interview results were analyzed using thematic analysis. The quantitative results reveal that there is a significant difference in the writing performance of accounting students who were taught by using PBL and those who were taught by using conventional learning, with PBL being better than conventional learning. It can be concluded that PBL is effective at enhancing accounting students’ writing performance. The qualitative results of the interviews revealed that the accounting students mentioned the benefits of PBL, including improvement in students’ writing skills, development of students’ problem-solving skills, development of students' critical thinking, team collaboration, and real accounting problem connections. However, they listed the challenges of PBL, which include difficulty relating to the varied ideas and a lack of experience with the problems. Future research is recommended to extend the study duration to better capture the lasting impacts of PBL, offering a more comprehensive understanding of this approach.
R. Irawati, B. Cahyono, N. Suryati et al.· Multidisciplinary Science Jo...· 0 citations