Title of the article

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English Didactic ISSN: 2337-6112

Vol. .. ⏐No. ..

WHAT ARE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHERS’

STRATEGIES TO CREATE AN ENJOYABLE LEARNING
ECOSYSTEM?
Nurhadianty Rahayu1, Siti Himatul Aliah2, Ila Nur Kholis Fatihah3, Iin Inayah4,
Amelia5, Elis Amaliah Risqiana6, Windy Ayesha Wardah7
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,
Universitas La Tansa Mashiro

Article Info Abstract

Keywords: Keyword 1, This study discusses senior high school English
keyword 2 (no more than five teachers' strategies to create an enjoyable
keywords)
learning ecosystem at a private senior high
school in Indonesia. The purpose of this study is
to unravel English teachers' strategies to make
the class fun for learners. This research used a
case study method. The research instrument is an
interview. The interview data are then processed
and analyzed using qualitative data analysis. The
interview with four English teachers at a private
high school is conducted to get the accurate data
from the participants regarding their strategies
when they discover students under motivation in
English learning. The source of this research data
is interview results to be analyzed with the
framework of Miles and Huberman (1984)
consisting of data reduction, data display, and
conclusion. The findings indicate that the
teachers use several strategies to create enjoyable
learning such as creating game-based learning
and incorporating roleplay and conversation to
provide space for learners to practice the
language.
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English Didactic Vol. … No. … (20…)

INTRODUCTION

Learning English at the high school level requires students to achieve certain learning
goals such as writing, speaking, and reading skills. However, based on the preliminary
reflection with the students, the most challenging skill to master is writing. By mastering
these skills the teacher has an important role or responsibility, to help the students by
preparing or mastering those skills with strategies to teach English. subjects especially in
speaking Based on the preliminary observation in the classroom, students often wear bored
facial expressions, play with their stationary and ask permission to go to the restroom instead
of focusing on the learning activities they need to get involved with. This study is thus
conducted to explore high school English teachers’ strategies to create an enjoyable learning
ecosystem. The focus of the study is teachers’ strategies, and there are several studies that
have covered this issue.

Creating an enjoyable learning ecosystem is a must for a teacher, especially teachers

in language classes. The methods and materials provided by the teacher must be digested
properly by students. A conducive classroom ecosystem is the main target for the
achievement of active learning objectives. Mularsih & Hartini (2019), propose good
classroom management can have an impact on effective learning. This is also the basis for
this research. This research is expected to be able to offer insights and provide solutions for
teachers, especially English teachers, to make their language classes more active and fun.

Mulyanti, Nadrun, Waris (2021), Rahmiani, Marwandi (2022), Hasibuan, Panjaitan,

Saragih (2022), for instance, investigate teaching strategies used by vocational school English
teachers to teach speaking skills and students' difficulties in learning English. Nainggolan,
Siallagan, Situmorang (2022), Mariam, Kepirianto, Raharjo, Ma’mun (2022) reported that
English games could improve students’ speaking skills.All human beings need to
communicate in order to express their ideas, feelings and thoughts, this is the main reason
why communicative activities should be integrated into the lesson. Students' spoken language
is more productive when they are engaged in a dynamic learning environment that encourages
them to do their tasks. Toro, et.al (2018), investigates the communicative language teaching
approach and reveals that modeling, repetition, pair and group work are the main strategies
used by teachers to help students develop communicative competences. Even though there are
many published research articles that talk about the strategies used by the teacher to create a
fun learning environment, they have not been exploring the strategies used by the teacher in
an Islamic boarding school context.

LITERATURE REVIEW
There are plethora of studies that discuss teachers’ strategies in creating a fun learning
ecosystem. Rahmiani, Marwandi (2022) explores the concept of bilingual learning
ecosystems (BLE) in industry-based technology vocational schools. The study focuses on
understanding the significance of BLE in overcoming learning difficulties faced by vocational
school students, particularly in terms of English language learning and acquiring specific
skills necessary for global competitive industrial technology. This review synthesizes existing
research on BLE, highlighting its implementation in vocational school settings, the
involvement of school elements, and the impact on students' English language proficiency
and vocational learning outcomes. Research that is used in this study adopts a descriptive
English Didactic Vol. … No. … (20…)

qualitative research approach. It involves the collection of observational data, interviews, and
documentation to explore the concept of BLE from a school perspective and its
implementation in the learning process. Findings of the research conclude the following: (1).
BLE Preparation: Bilingual learning ecosystems can be developed for both English and non-
English courses. This involves the participation of school biotic (living) and abiotic (non-
living) elements through collaborative teaching approaches. (2). Scientific Integration: BLE
supports the integration of scientific knowledge in vocational learning at the secondary level.
This has implications for increasing study hours and enhancing the enrichment of English
materials that are specific to the industrial technology domain.

Psaltou-Joycey, Agathopoulou, Joycey, Sougari, Kazamia, Petrogiannis & Gavriilidou

(2018) unravel EFL teachers’ instructional implementations guiding learners’ L2 learning
strategies (LLS). The study showcased that teachers encourage cognitive and metacognitive
LLS over affective and social LLS because they prioritize learning activities and its
regulation. Even though it is important for teachers to focus on learners' cognitive aspects,
teachers should not neglect affective and social strategies, especially as earners need
emotional support (affective) and help from others (social) during learning a foreign
language.

The next study is conducted by Silalahi (2019) who explores the effectiveness of
using game-based approaches to improve students' interest in English learning, specifically
focusing on vocabulary development. This study does not actually discuss teaching strategies
to create fun learning, but can add insights on what game-based learning can do to help
language learning become more fun. By incorporating games into the learning process,
educators create a more interactive and engaging environment that encourages active
participation and fosters a deeper understanding of the language. This review highlights the
various benefits of learning English through games, including experiential learning, enhanced
motivation, and increased interest in specific topics. The findings presented here contribute to
the understanding of how game-based approaches can positively impact students' English
language proficiency and overall learning experience.

The next study focuses on the Strategies Employed by English Teachers in Teaching
Speaking Skills Mulyanti, Nadrun, Waris, (2021). The study adopts a descriptive method to
analyze the data collected from English teachers in a public high school in Indonesia. The
research data were obtained through interviews and questionnaires. The findings reveal that
the teachers utilize four main strategies: role play, interview, describing pictures, and
storytelling. Among these strategies, role play was found to be the most frequently employed
strategy due to its ability to engage a large number of students and promote active learning.

Despite the abundance of published research articles that delve into the strategies
employed by teachers to create a fun and engaging learning environment, there remains a
noteworthy gap in the literature when it comes to exploring these strategies within the unique
context of Islamic Boarding Schools. While numerous studies have examined effective
teaching strategies in various educational settings, such as public schools or private
English Didactic Vol. … No. … (20…)

institutions, there is a scarcity of research specifically focusing on the strategies utilized by

teachers in Islamic boarding schools. This analysis will shed light on the distinct approaches
and techniques employed by teachers in Islamic boarding schools, highlighting the
intersection between pedagogy and Islamic education. By examining the strategies used in
this particular context, we can gain valuable insights into the ways teachers in an Islamic
boarding school foster an enjoyable and meaningful learning experience for their students.
Understanding these strategies is crucial for promoting effective teaching practices and
enhancing the educational outcomes of students in Islamic boarding schools.

RESEARCH METHOD
The researchers employ a case study that focuses on teachers’ strategies to create a
fun learning ecosystem in a high school context. According to Sturman (1997), “[a] case
study is a general term for the exploration of an individual, group or phenomenon” (ibid., p.
61). Therefore, a case study is a comprehensive description of an individual case and its
analysis; i.e., the characterization of the case and the events, as well as a description of the
discovery process of these features that is the process of research itself (Mesec 1998, p. 45).
Case study aims to report a certain phenomenon that happens in a certain environment. The
case study is conducted in a private high school in Indonesia. In this research, the researchers
collected the data through a series of interviews with four English teachers at the school.

The interview data are then processed and analyzed using qualitative data analysis.
Miles and Huberman (1984) proposes that qualitative data, usually in the form of words
rather than numbers, have always been the staple of some fields in social science, notably
anthropology, history, and political science. The research was conducted at different times
and locations. The data source of this research was the information from the teachers. The
researchers also took other published academic sources.

In this research, the researchers used interviews to collect the data as the instrument.
The interview consisted of eight questions. The researchers interviewed the teachers at
different times and locations. One of the teachers was interviewed online. The interview
consisted of eight questions related to teaching strategies. It was conducted to catch the
information about the teachers' strategies to create an enjoyable learning ecosystem in
teaching speaking. After the interview had been conducted, the results were then analyzed
using Miles and Huberman (1984) framework of data reduction, data display, and conclusion.

FINDING AND DISCUSSION

Findings from the Interview

The interview was done several times with four English teachers at a private high
school in Indonesia to get the accurate data to answer the research question. The interview
was conducted on April, 6th 2023. The researchers interviewed to get the data about teaching
strategies to create an enjoyable learning ecosystem. The research question was about what
are the teaching strategies used by the teachers to create an enjoyable learning ecosystem.
There are several things conveyed by the interviewees in explaining teaching strategies that
are usually used to create fun learning activities for students to support, Communicative
Language Teaching (CLT), such as adapting Paudel (2008) teach - test - teach, and games.
English Didactic Vol. … No. … (20…)

Participant A manages his class based on the lesson plan, mastering the material to be
discussed at the meeting and displaying good teaching performance with learning methods
that are suitable for class conditions. The methods usually used by Participant A are CLT
(Communicative language teaching) and Triple T (Teach-Test-Teach). Students are brought
to be able to interact actively through the CLT method which is applied to conversation or
group discussion. This method brings students to practice their speaking skills. In addition,
the Triple T method is also often used. First, she provides the learning material and then
provides questions or exercises to measure the students' level of understanding of the
material. After that, she evaluates the learning from their answers to the questions or
exercises. If the students still look confused, she will deliver the material again.

Participant B manages his class through a clean and comfortable classroom

arrangement. Students are invited to care for the classroom by cleaning up garbage around the
seat, under the table, and arranging the seats neatly so that the classroom atmosphere looks
more disciplined. Mularsih & Hartini (2019), argues that good classroom management can
have an impact on effective learning. In addition, he also made rules that were agreed upon
by students so that all class members were orderly when learning took place. The rules
include punishing class members who do not pay attention to the teacher when explaining,
joking and chatting with their friends or doing other things besides learning.

Participant C designs his class by stimulating them with English games such as
guessing vocabulary, role play or conversation. He used the method after seeing the condition
of the class when his students looked lackluster before starting the lesson. Kim (1995)
mentions that there are several benefits of playing English games, namely: 1) motivating
students, 2) directing students to strive in learning, 3) providing various language practices
with various speaking, writing, listening, and reading skills, 4) encouraging students to
interact and communicate, 5) creating a meaningful use of language, 6) and can reduce
students' anxiety levels (Nurbadri, 2017). Participant A does not always stick to one method
when teaching. He uses learning methods such as group discussions, presentations, games and
so on according to the condition of the class at that time. If the class conditions look
lackluster he usually uses the games method. However, if the class conditions are conducive
to learning then the presentation method is used.

Participant D manages his class first by giving a short conversation to get them to
have a light discussion for example about the material that has been taught and then proceeds
to the material with the CLT (Communicative language teaching) or TTT (Teach-Test-Teach)
method. These two methods are the ones most often used by Participant D. For Teach-Test-
Teach, students are invited to be given material and then after that given exercises or
questions to test their understanding. Furthermore, he reviews what has been delivered and
tested. Meanwhile, for CLT itself, he combines it with games that can open up student
discussion space such as role play or conversation. Both methods are used according to the
students' class conditions.

Paudel (2018) states that Teach-Test-Teach (TTT) is a way of staging a lesson. It is a

method of teaching learning process where learners first complete a task or activity without
any support from teachers. Participants D applies the Triple T (Tech - Test - Teach) method
in teaching grammar. He first gives an explanation of grammar material such as Tenses or
Part of speech to provide a model of the Tenses or grammar. Then, after they receive the
material Participan D gives practice questions to test their understanding. If the results are not
English Didactic Vol. … No. … (20…)

satisfactory, the students still do not seem to understand the material then the participant
usually evaluates and repeats the learning until the students understand. In addition, the
participant also uses bilingual language in learning grammar to make it easier for students to
digest learning. Similarly, Participant A also applies this Triple T method in his class, he
usually uses this method when learning grammar.

Teaching is the process of showing or helping someone to learn how to do something,

giving clear instructions, guiding in the study of something, providing knowledge of various
areas and aspects, causing them to know or to understand. Tests are directly related to the
learners which tell the teacher about how much the learner has achieved and how and how
much his/her learning is different from others. They give information about various aspects
and performances of the learners. In terms of teachers who implement Paudel (2018) (TTT),
participants who implement this attested that it is still not enough to promote active
participation during classes.

Toro, et.al (2018) investigates the communicative language teaching approach and
reveals that modeling, repetition, pair and group work are the main strategies used by teachers
to help students develop communicative competences. Participants A and D centered their
CLT method by creating a group for students to discuss about something. For example,
Participant A's students discussed their goals or hobbies. First, she creates a group and allows
students to discuss their goals or hobbies. Then, each of them will explain their hobby and the
reason why they chose it.

The results of interviews with 4 English teachers stated that teaching in the classroom
needs a good strategy and various learning methods, especially in language classes.
Widyantoro (2012) mentions that teaching is a complex job as it involves lots of knowledge,
skills and activities. This statement supports the statement of the participants that teaching is a
complex job because in addition to mastering the material the teacher must also understand
the condition of the students and the atmosphere in the classroom. This understanding is the
main basis that must be possessed by a teacher to open a wall of ease and comfort for students
when learning in class. The learning methods and learning techniques they use tend to adjust
to the material that has been compiled in the teacher's lesson plan and also adjusted to the
condition of the class at that time. Before teaching, the teacher will prepare enough lesson
plans, materials and learning techniques in order to prevent possibilities that will occur in the
classroom. Participants try to apply good teaching performance by preparing lesson plans,
mastering the material, providing appropriate teaching methods and always being active in
teaching. That is their strategy in managing their class.

Several techniques can help teachers to make students active in English. In this case,
The researcher noted some of the learning strategies obtained from the four interviewees.

1. Teach-Test-Teach (Triple T)

The Triple T method is one of the methods that participants often use in teaching.
Krashen (1983) states that the test-teach-test method helps the teacher make his/her input
comprehensible. The test-teach-test approach allows teachers to know the test, Students'
knowledge of the topic to be discussed. It is possible for teachers to see where the students
are having problems and what they should know. A teacher teaches them according to the
problem that he's identified, when he finds out what students are lacking. This way, it is
more efficient to teach students something they don't understand.
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The procedures of teaching grammar tenses through TTT have been designed by the
researcher as follow:
1. The teacher gives a test or task about the Present tense, continuous, perfect and past
perfect.
2. The teacher checks the students’ work.
3. The teacher explains about the material and task.
4. The teacher explains about the students’ mistakes in the first task as well as the
aspects that the students need to know about it.
5. The teacher gives an activity that functions as an evaluation about students’
understanding about .
2. Communicative language teaching (CLT)
According to Moss and Ross-Feldman (2003), any activity which requires the
learner to speak and listen to others includes the use of communication. Activities
with communicative purposes are helpful for breaking down barriers, finding
information, expressing ideas about oneself and learning about culture. This activity
can gradually train their communication with their friends. Students should be invited
to convey anything.

Piepho (1981) objectives in the communicative approach:

1. Integrative and content level (language as a means of expression).

2. Linguistic and instrumental level (language as a semiotic system and learning

object);

3. Affective level of interpersonal relations and behavior (language as a tool for

expressing values and judgments about oneself and others);

4. The level of individual learning needs (remedial learning based on error

analysis);

5. The general education level of extra-linguistic goals (language learning in the

school curriculum).

3. Games
a. Role play
Role play is one of the methods often used by teachers to teach speaking skills
to students. The implementation of role play can make students express themselves
through conversation with their classmates. In addition to learning speaking, they can
also enjoy participating in learning and of course this cannot be separated from the
role of the teacher who must participate in bringing students to the liveliness of
learning.
Arham et al., (2016) stated that the implementation of role-play technique
improves students’ both in speaking ability and self-confidence. The implementation
of Role play in participant C's class was done when students seemed not excited to
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learn so they needed a fresher and less boring learning atmosphere. According to
Participant C, this role play method was chosen as a learning support method to help
students improve their speaking skills. The benefits of using Role Play in learning as
quoted from Osuafor (2017), mentioned that role-play teaching is a technique that has
many advantages:
● Role-play emphasizes students centered.
● Role-play can increase students’ interest in learning.
● Role-play serves many opportunities to practice the language and their social
skills.
● Role-play can help students to grow a real-world concept and get more in-
depth knowledge.
● Role-play can grow a good habit for students in their social life. They learn
how to behave in a specific situation
In implementing Role Play in his class, Participant C divides the group first
and then explains how to run this game. They will discuss in their groups and create a
short text related to the topic given by the teacher. After that, each group will be given
time to perform their Role Play in front of the class. The implementation makes
students actively pay attention to their friends who are competing in front of the class
because after everything is done, each group will give comments and scores to other
groups. The implementation of Role play used by Participant C seems to be in
accordance with the statement Jakob (2018), to make the role-play teaching technique
run smoothly in the classroom, here are several steps of the implementation of the
role-play teaching technique:
● Explain to students about the technical implementation of the role-play
● Dividing students into groups
● Tell a story or situation to students
● Provide vocabulary that reflects the story or situation
● Give students time to prepare the dialogue from the role-play that will be
present
● Give time to students in each group to present their role-play in front of the
class
● Allow each student an opportunity to provide feedback among the group

b. Conversation and QnA

Besides the Role play method, Participant C also uses the conversation method
when his students are not excited about learning. different from role play, the
conversation conducted in participant C's class is quite simple. For example, building
a short conversation with students a few minutes before entering the lesson. Usually
the topics discussed are about news or activities that students are doing outside of
learning.
Participant C emphasizes students to speak English freely as a form of their
habituation. Participant C will provoke them to make them active in the discussion
until they can discuss with each other. According to him, sometimes students have
concerns in speaking English such as pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary. But in
this part Participant C makes his students free to speak without worrying about those
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mistakes. However, at the end of the material discussion Participant C will provide an
evaluation of the conversation that students do in class.
Other than Participant C, Participants A, B and D also like to use this
conversation as a warm up for their learning. The implementation is not much
different from what Participant C does in his class. However, Participants A, B and D
are not so significant in applying this conversation as a teaching interlude. They only
use it for a small amount of time and not too many topics. Sometimes it is just to
stimulate students to get into the next discussion material that will be given by the
teacher.
c. Guess the vocabulary
Guessing vocabulary is also commonly used to warm up before entering the
learning material. Participants A, B and C often use this technique. Vocabulary comes
from material that has been taught to students or comes from the environment around
the classroom. The implementation can be done individually or in groups for a
duration that suits the students' needs. If the students only need a few moments to be
able to start the lesson then this activity is done individually. However, if students
need some time to warm up then this activity will be the opening of the material and
carried out in groups. If this second option occurs according to Participant C, the
teacher must be able to bridge between this material and games.
4. Group discussion method
Group discussion is certainly a method that is also used in the classroom,
especially English classes. The reason is because this method can bring out students'
critical thinking and make them work together and socialize among friends. Almost all
Participants use this method in their learning. However, the implementation is
different. Some use this method when doing games, some combine it with serious
learning materials. This is done so that students can exchange ideas in solving a
problem or completing a project.
The example taken is Participant D's class. This group method is implemented
in the material about grammar analysis. He formed several groups then gave one text
to each group to analyze the grammar in the text. The results will be presented by each
group and the other groups will assess.
According to him, the results of this discussion are quite significant. students
who previously did not really understand the implementation of grammar became a
little more understanding because there was a group discussion with their friends who
already understood first. Plus, all group members must understand what they are
presenting. Because there are questions asked by students and teachers to test their
understanding.

CONCLUSION
This study is conducted to explore high school English teachers’ strategies to
create an enjoyable learning ecosystem. The focus of the study is teachers’ strategies,
and there are several studies that have covered this issue. Creating an enjoyable
learning ecosystem is a must for a teacher, especially teachers in foreign language
English Didactic Vol. … No. … (20…)

classes. And the results of the study are that participant A manages his class based on
the lesson plan, mastering the material to be discussed at the meeting and displaying
good teaching performance with learning methods that are suitable for class
conditions. Participant B manages his class through a clean and comfortable
classroom arrangement. Participant C designs his class by stimulating them with
English games such as guessing vocabulary, role play or conversation. If the results
are not satisfactory, the students still do not seem to understand the material then the
participant usually evaluates and repeats the learning until the students understand. In
addition, the participant also uses bilingual language.and the results of interviews with
4 English teachers stated that teaching in the classroom needs a good strategy and
various learning methods, especially in language classes.

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