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.

Journal of English and Education (JEE)

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

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