THE ROLE OF STUDENT ASSISTANTS IN PROMOTING INTERACTIVE ENGLISH LEARNING
Abstract
This study explores the role of student assistants in enhancing interactive English learning at MA Bahrul Ulum, an Islamic senior high school operating within a pesantren-based educational system. Positioned as part of a collaborative teaching strategy, student assistants serve not only as academic support but also as facilitators who promote learner engagement through a variety of interactive approaches. Employing a qualitative descriptive methodology, data were collected through classroom observations, interviews with English teachers and teaching assistants, as well as student reflections. The findings indicate that student assistants contribute meaningfully to building a more dynamic and student-centered classroom. They incorporate strategies such as language games, group discussions, role-plays, and the use of digital tools to make lessons more engaging. These methods were found to lower students’ anxiety when speaking English and increase overall classroom participation. Despite challenges such as limited experience and time management difficulties, assistants were able to bridge the gap between formal instruction and informal, communicative language practice. Their presence also made learning more relatable, especially through peer-to-peer interaction. Furthermore, their efforts aligned with the goals of the Merdeka Curriculum, which encourages contextualized, independent, and meaningful learning. In the pesantren setting, student assistants successfully integrated Islamic values into language activities, making English instruction more culturally relevant. The study concludes that, with proper training and structured implementation, student assistantship programs have the potential to significantly improve English language education in Islamic-based schools by enhancing motivation, fostering communication, and creating supportive learning environments.
References
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Giannakos, Michail, and Mutlu Cukurova. 2023. “The Role of Learning Theory in Multimodal Learning Analytics.” British Journal of Educational Technology 54 (5): 1246–67.
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Risqiyah, A., Wisudaningsih, E. T., & Fatmawati, R. (2023). A Narrative Inquiry of Student’s Public Speaking Ability by Bilingual (English & Arabic) at Boarding School of the Al-Mashduqiyah Kraksaan. Jurnal Simki Pedagogia, 6(2), 545-553. https://doi.org/10.29407/jsp.v6i2.305
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Kholili, M. I., Wisudaningsih, E. T., & Islam, R. (2024). ANALYZING THE ROLE PLAY TECHNIQUES IMPROVING STUDENTS SPEAKING COMPETENCE. Jurnal Review Pendidikan dan Pengajaran (JRPP), 7(2), 3748-3757.
Jalil, H., Islam, M. H., & Hamdany, B. (2024). Undergraduate Students’ Perception on Using Ome TV as a Tool in Improving English Speaking Skill. Journey: Journal of English Language and Pedagogy, 7(1), 86-94.
Harzanah, N. D., Islam, M. H., & Hamdany, B. (2024). Students’ Perception Toward English Meeting Club of Their Speaking Skill. Journey: Journal of English Language and Pedagogy, 7(1), 67-75.
Han, H., Islam, M. H., & Ferdiyanto, F. (2023). An Analysis of Student's Difficulties in English Speaking, a Descriptive Study. EDUTEC: Journal of Education And Technology, 6(4), 497-503.
Lutfah, N. W., & Arisanti, K. (2023). The Story Telling as a Solution of Student’s Difficulties in English Speaking at Islamic of Senior High School Sirojut Tholibin. Jurnal Kewarganegaraan, 7(1), 410-415.
Andriani, Zulfi Zumala Dwi. 2024. “Adjustment and Adaptation: English Curriculum Development in Pesantren.” Englisia: Journal of Language, Education, and Humanities 11 (2): 249–66.
Baralt, Melissa. 2023. “Foundational Principles of Task-Based Language Teaching.” Oxford University Press UK.
Barrasso, Anthony P, and Kathryn E Spilios. 2021. “A Scoping Review of Literature Assessing the Impact of the Learning Assistant Model.” International Journal of STEM Education 8:1–18.
Chuang, Szufang. 2021. “The Applications of Constructivist Learning Theory and Social Learning Theory on Adult Continuous Development.” Performance Improvement 60 (3): 6–14.
Devi, M K Kavitha, and M Sathya Thendral. 2023. “Using Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory to Improve Student Learning in Theory Course.” Journal of Engineering Education Transformations, 70–81.
Efgivia, M Givi, R Y Adora Rinanda, Aang Hidayat, Irfan Maulana, and Anthon Budiarjo. 2021. “Analysis of Constructivism Learning Theory.” In 1st UMGESHIC International Seminar on Health, Social Science and Humanities (UMGESHIC-ISHSSH 2020), 208–12. Atlantis Press.
Eli, Taleb. 2021. “Studentsperspectives on the Use of Innovative and Interactive Teaching Methods at the University of Nouakchott Al Aasriya, Mauritania: English Department as a Case Study.” International Journal of Technology Innovation and Management (Ijtim) 1 (2): 90–104.
Ferrari, Brittney Anne. 2023. “Peer Learning Assistants Facilitate Student Learning and Engagement through Interactive Discourse.” University of Georgia.
Giannakos, Michail, and Mutlu Cukurova. 2023. “The Role of Learning Theory in Multimodal Learning Analytics.” British Journal of Educational Technology 54 (5): 1246–67.
Gunawan, Wawan, Atiqoh Atiqoh, and Imas Mastoah Suharti. 2023. “Development Of Interactive Media For English Learning.” Journal on Education 5 (03): 7747–55.
Heggernes, Sissil Lea. 2021. “A Critical Review of the Role of Texts in Fostering Intercultural Communicative Competence in the English Language Classroom.” Educational Research Review 33:100390.
Jasiah, Jasiah, Mazrur Mazrur, Zainap Hartati, Abd Rahman, Mariah Kibtiyah, Fimeir Liadi, and Fahmi Fahmi. 2024. “Islamic Teachers’ Implementation of the Merdeka Curriculum in Senior High Schools: A Systematic Review.” International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research 23 (4): 394–408.
Jones, Nathan D, Courtney A Bell, Mary Brownell, Yi Qi, David Peyton, Daisy Pua, Melissa Fowler, and Steven Holtzman. 2022. “Using Classroom Observations in the Evaluation of Special Education Teachers.” Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis 44 (3): 429–57.
Karathanos-Aguilar, Katya, and Lara Ervin-Kassab. 2022. “Co-Teaching as an Opportunity for Mentor Teacher Professional Growth.” International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education 11 (3): 245–61.
Koutroubas, Virginia, and Michael Galanakis. 2022. “Bandura’s Social Learning Theory and Its Importance in the Organizational Psychology Context.” Psychology 12 (6): 315–22.
Kumar, Ashok, and S G Praveenakumar. 2025. Research Methodology. Authors Click Publishing.
Lochmiller, Chad R. 2021. “Conducting Thematic Analysis with Qualitative Data.” The Qualitative Report 26 (6): 2029–44.
Luo, Zixu. 2024. “A Review of Krashen’s Input Theory.” Journal of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences 26 (1): 130–35.
Martinez, Corinne. 2022. “Developing 21st Century Teaching Skills: A Case Study of Teaching and Learning through Project-Based Curriculum.” Cogent Education 9 (1): 2024936.
McHale, Fiona, Kwok Ng, Sarah Taylor, Enrique Bengoechea, Catherine Norton, Donal O’Shea, and Catherine Woods. 2022. “A Systematic Literature Review of Peer-Led Strategies for Promoting Physical Activity Levels of Adolescents.” Health Education & Behavior 49 (1): 41–53.
Stanley, Mandy. 2023. “Qualitative Descriptive: A Very Good Place to Start.” In Qualitative Research Methodologies for Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, 52–67. Routledge.
Tzuriel, David, and David Tzuriel. 2021. “The Socio-Cultural Theory of Vygotsky.” Mediated Learning and Cognitive Modifiability, 53–66.
Umniyah, Alifatul, Slamet Setiawan, and Him’mawan Adi Nugroho. 2025. “Enhancing Communication Skills through Translanguaging in Pesantren-Based English Club.” PANYONARA: Journal of English Education 7 (1): 16–37.
Uslu, Nilüfer Atman, and Hatice Yildiz Durak. 2022. “Predicting Learner Autonomy in Collaborative Learning: The Role of Group Metacognition and Motivational Regulation Strategies.” Learning and Motivation 78:101804.
Wals, Arjen E J. 2023. Social Learning towards a Sustainable World: Principles, Perspectives, and Praxis. Brill.
Zhai, Chunpeng, and Santoso Wibowo. 2023. “A Systematic Review on Artificial Intelligence Dialogue Systems for Enhancing English as Foreign Language Students’ Interactional Competence in the University.” Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence 4:100134.
Zhang, Yunyan. 2023. “Teaching Strategies of College English Listening Based on Affective Filter Hypothesis.” The Educational Review, USA 7 (1): 26–30.
Exploring How Skimming and Scanning Fosters EFL Students’ Reading Comprehension at an English Club Senior High School in Indonesia. (2023). Tamaddun, 22(1), 20-27. https://doi.org/10.33096/tamaddun.v22i1.309
Risqiyah, A., Wisudaningsih, E. T., & Fatmawati, R. (2023). A Narrative Inquiry of Student’s Public Speaking Ability by Bilingual (English & Arabic) at Boarding School of the Al-Mashduqiyah Kraksaan. Jurnal Simki Pedagogia, 6(2), 545-553. https://doi.org/10.29407/jsp.v6i2.305
Rahim, F. R., Fauzi, A., & Syafriani. (2023). Fostering creative problem solving skills through integrated learning of volcanic eruption disasters. ASEAN Natural Disaster Mitigation and Education Journal, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.61511/andmej.v1i1.2023.176
Wulandari, P., Wisudaningsih, E., & DP, T. (2023). Penerapan Video Recitation Learning sebagai Model Pembelajaran di RA Raudlatul Hasan. AS-SABIQUN, 5(3), 669-682. https://doi.org/10.36088/assabiqun.v5i3.3217
Aprilia, F. A., Ainol, A., & Kholili, A. (2023). The Effectiveness Of (Esa) Engage Study Activate Method On Student’s Speaking Ability At The Eight Grade Students Of Islamic Junior High School of Syech Abdul Qadir Al Jailani. Journal of English Language Teaching, 10(1), 162.
Kholili, M. I., Wisudaningsih, E. T., & Islam, R. (2024). ANALYZING THE ROLE PLAY TECHNIQUES IMPROVING STUDENTS SPEAKING COMPETENCE. Jurnal Review Pendidikan dan Pengajaran (JRPP), 7(2), 3748-3757.
Jalil, H., Islam, M. H., & Hamdany, B. (2024). Undergraduate Students’ Perception on Using Ome TV as a Tool in Improving English Speaking Skill. Journey: Journal of English Language and Pedagogy, 7(1), 86-94.
Harzanah, N. D., Islam, M. H., & Hamdany, B. (2024). Students’ Perception Toward English Meeting Club of Their Speaking Skill. Journey: Journal of English Language and Pedagogy, 7(1), 67-75.
Han, H., Islam, M. H., & Ferdiyanto, F. (2023). An Analysis of Student's Difficulties in English Speaking, a Descriptive Study. EDUTEC: Journal of Education And Technology, 6(4), 497-503.
Lutfah, N. W., & Arisanti, K. (2023). The Story Telling as a Solution of Student’s Difficulties in English Speaking at Islamic of Senior High School Sirojut Tholibin. Jurnal Kewarganegaraan, 7(1), 410-415.
Authors
Maghfiroh, R. I. D., Zakiyah, A., & Zainuddin, Z. (2025). THE ROLE OF STUDENT ASSISTANTS IN PROMOTING INTERACTIVE ENGLISH LEARNING . Interling : International Journal of English Language Teaching, Literature and Linguistics, 3(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.55210/interling.v3i1.2087
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