Journal of English and Education (JEE)

Inclusive students’ challenges in learning English (A case study in SD Negeri Balirejo, Yogyakarta)

2025-10-04T04:41:26+00:00

The fact that the world is now borderless has increased the demand for English in society. This demand does not only apply to adults but in the Merdeka Curriculum, early childhood, elementary school students and inclusive students or students with SEN (Special Education Needs) are now also required to be able to speak English. Many researchers have discussed the various difficulties in learning English faced by adults or children, but few have discussed the difficulties experienced by SEN students, even though they have the same demands and rights as everyone else to learn English. This study aims to provide an overview regarding the challenges experienced by SEN students in learning English. Qualitative method was done by direct interviews with inclusive students and English teachers at SD N Balirejo which is one of the inclusive schools in Yogyakarta. This study proves that the use of vocabulary, pronunciation and speaking in English are some of the difficulties experienced by SEN students. In addition, students with SEN face difficulties in social interaction that makes English learning process more challenging. Therefore, an appropriate environment, methods and strategies as well as the role of teachers are needed to support English learning for inclusive students.

Exploratory practice in action: EFL teachers’ and students’ collaborative engagement in intensive reading activities

2025-10-08T22:26:52+00:00

This qualitative case study investigates how EFL teachers and students collaboratively enact Exploratory Practice (EP) principles in intensive reading instruction at an Indonesian university. Drawing on classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and reflective journals, the research explores the pedagogical integration of EP’s seven key principles, including puzzle-posing, mutual development, and reflective inquiry. Findings reveal that EP transforms the reading classroom into a space for shared exploration, where both teachers and learners co-construct meaning, deepen engagement with texts, and foster a supportive learning community. Teachers shifted from delivering fixed content to facilitating dialogic discussions around learner puzzles, while students became more reflective and agentive in their reading practices. The enactment of EP led to improved teacher-student relationships, enhanced metacognition, and greater emotional investment in learning. However, challenges emerged, including time constraints, discomfort with open-ended inquiry, and misalignment with standardized assessments. Despite these tensions, the study underscores the potential of EP to humanize reading instruction by centering learner voice, inquiry, and well-being. This research contributes to the growing literature on practitioner research in language education, offering insights into the enactment of EP in skill-specific domains and advocating for more inclusive, inquiry-driven pedagogy in EFL contexts.

Reframing EFL syllabus design for the 21st century: exploring teacher readiness in pre-service education

2026-05-04T07:54:58+00:00

This study explores how pre-service English teachers develop readiness to integrate 21st-century competencies and sustainability principles into English as a Foreign Language syllabus design. Grounded in experiential learning theory and the framework of global competence, the study aims to examine the level of readiness, the relationship between familiarity and confidence, and the factors shaping the transition from conceptual understanding to pedagogical practice. This study employed an explanatory sequential mixed-method design, combining quantitative data from a structured questionnaire with qualitative insights from reflective narratives. The findings reveal that participants demonstrate strong conceptual understanding but uneven confidence and limited practical application. The results indicate that familiarity with key concepts does not necessarily lead to effective implementation without reflective experience and contextual support. The study concludes that teacher readiness is a dynamic process shaped by the interaction between knowledge, belief, and practice rather than a fixed competency. These findings imply the importance of integrating mentorship, reflective inquiry, and contextualized learning experiences into teacher education programs to support the meaningful application of global and sustainability-oriented competencies in language teaching.

The effect of language awareness approach on intermediate learners’ use of collocations in essay writing

2026-04-08T02:40:55+00:00

Vocabulary learning increasingly highlights formulaic sequences, particularly collocations, which are essential but persistently difficult for language learners. Traditional instruction often overlooks collocational use in writing, and existing language awareness research focuses mainly on grammar and passive vocabulary gains, with limited evidence regarding metalanguage’s role in collocation use. Addressing these gaps, the present study investigates the effect of the Language Awareness Approach on intermediate learners’ use of collocations in essay writing, as well as their perspectives toward this approach. Adopting a mixed-methods explanatory sequential design, the study employed quasi-experimental design, with two classes comprising 50 students assigned as an experimental group and a control group. Pre- and post-tests were used to assess changes in collocational performance, while questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were then employed so that learners’ perspectives on the approach can be captured. The quantitative results revealed that although both groups improved, the experimental group demonstrated clearer gains in the accuracy and variety of lexical collocations.

Qualitative findings revealed strong affective, cognitive, and social engagement, with these dimensions reinforcing each other. Two further patterns refined the picture: the value of metalanguage was conditional rather than categorical, and learners’ reliance on teacher guidance suggests that the approach functions as guided rather than autonomous discovery. From the findings, implications for learners, teachers and syllabus designers, together with theoretical contributions to metalanguage and language awareness, are proposed.

Beyond similarities and differences: Unveiling critical thinking in EFL students’ comparison-contrast essays

2026-05-04T09:08:05+00:00

Critical thinking is widely recognized as a key objective in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) writing instruction. However, few studies have explored how it is demonstrated in specific academic genres. This study examined how EFL university students expressed critical thinking through the writing of comparison-contrast essays. Guided by Paul and Elder’s (2020) critical thinking framework, the study addressed the question: How do EFL students demonstrate critical thinking in the process of composing comparison-contrast essays? The research took place in an essay writing course at a university in Jakarta, Indonesia, involving 20 fifth-semester English education majors aged 21–23. Data included students’ essays and their written reflections on the writing process. The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis, applying the elements and intellectual standards of critical thinking to identify patterns of reasoning. The findings showed that students demonstrated critical thinking through analytical categorization, evaluative judgments, integration of perspectives, and logical organization. Reflections revealed deliberate thinking strategies that supported the writing process. The study concludes that comparison-contrast writing, when paired with structured instruction and reflective practice, provides a productive platform for developing critical thinking. These insights contribute to genre-based writing pedagogy and support the integration of critical thinking as a central goal in EFL education

Comparative analysis of ChatGPT and Grammarly in supporting grammar correction and writing development in EFL students

2026-04-22T08:13:06+00:00

This study investigates the effectiveness of ChatGPT and Grammarly as AI-powered tools for providing corrective feedback and supporting academic writing development among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) university students. A mixed-methods quasi-experimental design was employed, involving 300 participants divided into two experimental groups: one using ChatGPT and the other using Grammarly, over a four-week intervention period. Data were collected through perception questionnaires, writing tasks, grammar correction accuracy analysis, and student reflection journals. Descriptive statistics and paired samples t-tests indicated that students perceived ChatGPT to be more effective in improving grammar, increasing confidence, and enhancing understanding of grammar rules. Simultaneously, both tools were similarly rated in terms of clarity of feedback. The Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test revealed that ChatGPT significantly outperformed Grammarly in terms of correction accuracy across most grammar categories. A Chi-square test of independence confirmed a statistically significant association between tool use and correction performance according to error type. Thematic analysis of student reflections identified five key themes: awareness of grammar rules, writing confidence, vocabulary and style, motivation to improve, and learning autonomy. ChatGPT was more closely associated with deeper learning and critical engagement, whereas Grammarly was valued for quick, surface-level corrections. Overall, the findings suggest that while both tools contribute to EFL writing development, ChatGPT offers greater pedagogical value through its interactive and explanatory feedback, making it a more effective tool for fostering writing improvement and learner autonomy in academic contexts.