Interactive Tasks as Pedagogical Innovation in Secondary EFL Education: Insights from Bangladesh

Abstract

This study explores the effect of interactive activities as a pedagogical innovation in teaching and learning of the English language, especially among secondary-level students. It also addresses how group tasks, role-plays, debates, and collaborative problem-solving activities can play a role in enhancing students’ English as a Foreign Language (EFL) proficiency. The study is based on Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT), and theories of educational innovation. To collect data, two madrasahs and three high schools were purposively selected from Chuadanga District, Bangladesh. Mixed-methods research with a twenty-item survey was conducted on 231 students, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with five English teachers. The findings indicate that interactive activities accelerate student motivation and confidence by developing language skills, especially in speaking, listening, and vocabulary. Teachers like these practices, but they face challenges conducting them in large classes and within an exam-based curriculum. The students are interested in the multimodal and collaborative learning experiences, but infrastructural constraints significantly hinder their active engagement. By presenting interactive activities as pedagogical interventions and educational innovations, the study offers a preview of the transformative effect of interactive activities in the domain of under-resourced classrooms. The research also illuminates discussions on language education innovation that can be used to design curriculum, strengthen teacher education, and develop pedagogy in resource-poor, exam-oriented schooling contexts across Bangladesh.