Implementing collaborative learning in Indonesian secondary EFL Classrooms: Teacher practices and contextual challenges
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12928/tefl.v5i2.2429Keywords:
Collaborative learning, EFL classrooms, Secondary Education, Teacher Practices, Classroom challengesAbstract
Collaborative learning (CL) provides opportunities for interaction and peer support in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom, but its implementation can vary according to learners, tasks, and classroom conditions. This qualitative descriptive study explored how secondary-school English teachers implemented CL and the challenges they encountered in their classrooms. Seven English teachers from two vocational high schools and one general high school in West Java, Indonesia, participated in the study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and classroom observations. Each teacher was observed once during an 80-minute lesson, resulting in a total of 560 minutes of classroom observation. The data were analyzed thematically. The findings identified five main areas of CL implementation: heterogeneous and random grouping for peer interaction, collaborative projects and problem-oriented tasks, interactive and technology-supported activities, teacher facilitation and monitoring, and attention to both group and individual performance. The teachers also encountered interconnected challenges related to unequal participation, differences in learner readiness, language use, planning and assessment, and access to classroom and digital resources. The interview and observation data were broadly consistent in showing the active role of teachers in organizing and supporting collaborative work although some practices reported in the interviews were not visible during the particular lessons observed. Overall, the findings suggest that CL in these secondary EFL classrooms was implemented not as a fixed set of techniques but as an adaptive and teacher-mediated practice. Teachers adjusted grouping, tasks, support, and resources in response to learner readiness and classroom conditions. These findings highlight the importance of understanding CL as a context-sensitive practice in secondary EFL education.
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