A Case Study of an EFL Teacher’s Implementation of Role-Play Strategy in Teaching Speaking at a Junior High School
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24256/ideas.v14i1.10829Keywords:
Role-Play, Speaking Skills, EFL, Case Study, Pedagogical ConsiderationsAbstract
This study examines how an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teacher implements role-playing strategies in speaking instruction at the junior high school level for the first time. By examining the experiences of a novice teacher, this study provides critical insights into how teachers adapt innovative strategies in real classroom contexts an essential dimension for understanding the development of sustainable teaching practices and serving as input for teacher training programs. Using a qualitative case study approach, data were collected through classroom observations over three sessions and semi-structured interviews. The analysis revealed five sequential phases of implementation scenario planning, instruction, role assignment, facilitation, and feedback along with four pedagogical considerations: pronunciation development, student confidence, teacher readiness, and curriculum alignment. These findings indicate that the successful implementation of role-playing heavily depends on teachers’ pedagogical readiness and adaptive decision-making, thereby providing concrete implications for the design of professional development programs that support novice EFL teachers in adopting communicative strategies. This study addresses a significant research gap by shifting the focus from learning outcomes to the implementation process itself, thereby contributing to a more contextually relevant EFL pedagogy in junior high schools in Indonesia.
References
Alamer, A., Alrabai, F., & Sparks, R. (2025). Reducing language anxiety by increasing language achievement: A new experimental study. Language Teaching Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688251322840
Angelina Van Dyke1ORCID icon, W. R. A. (2023). Role-play and dialogic meta-pragmatics in developing and assessing pragmatic competence. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1075/pl.22004.van
Borg, S. (2015). Teacher cognition and language education.
Christine C. M. Goh, A. B., Goh, C. C. M., & Burns, A. (2021). Teaching Speaking: A Holistic Approach. Cambridge University Press.
Fauziah, Y., Kusrin, & Ahmad, Y. B. (2025). Self-Efficacy in Speaking Skills through Role-Play among Junior High School Students. Edu Society: Jurnal Pendidikan, Ilmu Sosial, Dan Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat, 5(2), 907–920. https://jurnal.permapendis-sumut.org/index.php/edusociety
Furwana, D., Muin, F. R., Zainuddin, A. A., & Mulyani, A. G. (2024). Unlocking the Potential: Exploring the Impact of Online Assessment in English Language Teaching. IDEAS: Journal on English Language Teaching and Learning, Linguistics and Literature, 12(1), 653-662.
Goram, S. G., & Subekti, A. S. (2022). Permainan Peran dan Kecemasan Berbicara : Studi Kasus di Kelas Berbicara Bahasa Inggris Daring. Jurnal Lingua Applicata, 6(1), 33–43.
Harefa, P. T., Harefa, A. T., Zega, R., & Waruwu, Y. (2025). The Implementation of the Role Play Method in Improving Students’ Speaking Skill at the Eighth Grade Of UPTD SMP Negeri 4 Gunungsitoli Selatan. International Journal of English Education and Linguistics (IJoEEL), 7(2), 259–275. https://doi.org/10.33650/ijoeel.v7i2.12267
Harmer, J. (2007). The practice of English language teaching (Fourth Edi). UK: Pearson Education Ltd.
Husnaini, H. (2022). Development of Self Esteem-Oriented Micro Teaching Materials for IAIN Palopo English Education Students. IDEAS: Journal on English Language Teaching and Learning, Linguistics and Literature, 10(1), 538-560.
Ishak, S. A., & Abdul Aziz, A. (2022). Role Play to Improve ESL Learners’ Communication Skills: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 12(10), 826–845. https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v12-i10/14851
Khoudri, I. (2024). Teachers’ Strategies to Alleviate Speaking Anxiety and Foster Willingness to Communicate among EFL Secondary School Students. International Journal of Contemporary Educational Research, 11(2), 233–246. https://doi.org/10.52380/ijcer.2024.11.2.608
Ladousse, G. P. (1987). Role Play. Oxford University Press. https://archive.org/details/roleplay0000lado
Littlewood, W., & Shufang, W. (2022). The Role of Learners’ First Language in the Foreign Language Classroom. Language Teaching Research Quarterly, 31, 17–182. https://doi.org/10.32038/ltrq.2022.31.12
Matthew B. Miles, A. Michael Huberman, J. S. (2014). Qualitative Data Analysis: A Methods Sourcebook (3rd Edition). Sage publications.
Muzahira, R., & Zuhriyah, M. (2024). Pecha Kucha: An Effective Strategy for Teaching Speaking in an Indonesian Junior High School. Teaching English as Foreign Language, Literature and Linguistics, 4(1), 15–20. https://doi.org/10.33752/teflics.v4i1.6212
Nazri, M. A. (2021). Communication Barriers in Speaking: Challenges Faced by Indonesian EFL Learners. Print) Journal of English Language and Education, 10(5), 2025.
Octavia, N., Astutik, Y., & Rahayu, E. M. (2023). T e a c h e r s ’ T e a c h in g S t r a t e g i e s F o r T e a c h i n g S p e a k i n g S k i l l s A t Junior High School. 5(1).
Patton, M. Q. (2014). Qualitative research & evaluation methods: Integrating theory and practice. Sage publications.
Poth, J. W. C. dan C. N. (2018). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches. Sage publications.
Sari, R. N., & Zuhriyyah, M. (2023). Strategies of an Efl Teacher To Teach Speaking in Class Viii of Smpn 2 Jombang. Journal of English Language Teaching and Literature (JELTL), 6(2), 129–144. https://doi.org/10.47080/jeltl.v6i2.2794
Sharan B. Merriam & Elizabeth J. Tisdell. (2016). Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and Implementation (4th Editio). Jossey-Bass (John Wiley & Sons).
Tamala, Dewi, & Wulandari. (2025). STUDENTS’PERCEPTION ON THE STRATEGIES USED BY TEACHERS IN TEACHING SPEAKING SKILLS TO THE ELEVENTH GRADE OF SMK MUHAMMADIYAH 1 PALU. Journal of Foreign Language and Educational Research, 8(2), 61.
Teh, W. (2021). Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in the context of online Learning: A literature review. International Journal of TESOL & Education, 1(2), 65–71. https://i-jte.org/index.php/journal/article/view/23
Yin. (2018). Case Study Research and Applications: Design and Methods (6th ed.). Sage publications.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
Citation Check
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Berliana Delima Citra, Abdul Kodir Al-Baekani, S.Pd., M.Pd., Dedeh Kartini, S.Pd., M.Pd.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under an Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See the Effect of Open Access)
