ABSTRACT
This qualitative study was conducted to find out the private school teachers’ experiences and challenges in using explicit instruction strategies for teaching English among the ten (10) English teachers as bases for training workshop. Results revealed that the experiences of English teachers in using explicit instruction strategies were: achieved objectives in writing paragraphs, learners clearly understood new concepts, learners’ English performance improved through modeling and guided practice, and improved comprehension skills. The challenges of teachers in using explicit instruction were: learners become passive and lose focus, inability to effectively address diverse learner abilities, ineffective time management during instruction, lack of learners’ engagement, and difficulty in transition from guided practice to independence. The coping strategies of teachers in using explicit instruction were: improving learners’ interaction, using differentiated instruction, planning lessons ahead, boosting learners’ confidence by giving encouragements, passion for teaching, and giving constructive feedback.
Keywords: Teachers' Experiences and Challenges, Explicit Instruction Strategies for Teaching English, Bases for Training Workshop
INTRODUCTION
Explicit instruction strategy is widely regarded as a highly effective teaching strategy for enhancing student understanding, promoting mastery of concepts, and supporting learners with diverse needs. Explicit instruction strategies are teaching methods where the teacher clearly and directly explains a concept or skill. It usually involves: “I Do” (modeling) where teacher demonstrates how to do a task in English, such as reading, writing, or grammar exercises;
“We Do” (guided practice)–teacher and students practice the task together with guidance, such as forming sentences or creating a short story; and “You Do” (independent practice) where students practice on their own to demonstrate understanding of the English lesson. The goal is to make learning clear and structured so that students understand the lesson and can perform the skill correctly.
According to Archer and Hughes (2021), explicit instruction is a systematic and structured teaching approach that allows learners to acquire skills more efficiently by providing clarity, modeling, and guided practice.
The process involves specifying learning intentions, modeling new skills, offering opportunities for guided practice, and providing immediate corrective feedback. This is supported by Hattie (2023), who also emphasized that explicit instruction, when implemented rigorously, significantly increases student achievement, especially in English since it is a complex language that needs to be mastered. Research done between 2021 and 2025 also emphasized that explicit instruction was effective in helping students learn complex English skills, including grammar rules, vocabulary development, reading, and writing.
English is an important subject in the school curriculum, given its contribution to communication, academic success, and living in a globalized world. English language competence provides students with relevant skills that help them succeed academically, socially, and professionally. Despite this, some students still face challenges in improving their English language competence, including reading, writing, and speaking skills.
In actual classroom practice, however, the consistent use of strategies for explicit instruction has remained a significant challenge. While teachers may have had a good understanding of the theory and principles that underpin the practice of explicit instruction, it has remained a challenge to bring these principles to life (Archer & Hughes, 2021). The increased use of educational technology, such as interactive whiteboards, learning platforms, multimedia presentations, and mobile apps, has created new possibilities for engaging the learners.
Given these realities, this study aimed at examining the actual practices of English teachers in employing explicit instruction strategies and the challenges encountered by these teachers. The results of this study may serve as a good basis for the development of a training workshop that can meet the actual needs of English teachers and further enrich the quality of English instruction.
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