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Ethnopedagogy in English Language Teaching: Teacher Beliefs and Implementation of Brain-Based and Cultural Approaches in Senior High Schools, Tana Toraja

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This study investigates ethnopedagogical strategies in English Language Teaching (ELT) through the lens of teacher beliefs, specifically examining how Toraja cultural approaches are integrated by senior high school English teachers in Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Employing a qualitative case study design, data were collected from three English teachers through semi-structured interviews and classroom observations, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings reveal that all three teachers hold strong and positive beliefs that integrating Toraja local culture including rituals, folklore, traditional food, and sacred sites facilitates students’ comprehension, memory retention, and confidence. Teachers view ethnopedagogy not only as an instructional strategy but as a moral responsibility to preserve Toraja culture and instill character values. Implementation analysis shows that ethnopedagogical strategies are most consistently applied in opening activities, speaking simulations, and closing reflections, while gaps remain in the use of culturally diverse audio-visual media and listening skill development. This study contributes to the growing body of research on culturally responsive ELT in indigenous contexts and recommends integrating ethnopedagogy with systematic professional development for teachers in culturally rich but under-resourced regions.

Speaking Skills Development in Indonesian Senior High School: A Mixed Methods Needs Analysis of Student Preferences, Challenges, and Teacher Support

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Despite widespread recognition of speaking proficiency as central to English language learning, senior high school students in Indonesia continue to exhibit significant difficulties in oral communication, and the specific preferences, challenges, and support needs driving these difficulties remain insufficiently understood. This study investigates two interrelated questions: (1) what types of learning activities do students prefer to enhance their speaking skills, and (2) what challenges do students encounter in learning English speaking skills, and what teacher support do they identify as most beneficial? A convergent mixed-methods design was employed, integrating quantitative data from a 25-item Likert-scale questionnaire administered to 15 students across five needs analysis dimensions Target Situation Analysis (TSA), Present Situation Analysis (PSA), Learning Needs (LN), Learners’ Wants (LW), and Learning Preferences (LP) with qualitative data from semi-structured interviews conducted with five purposively selected participants. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics; qualitative data underwent systematic thematic analysis following Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña’s (2020) interactive model. Findings revealed that students demonstrated Very High awareness of speaking importance (TSA M = 4.78) while simultaneously recognising significant deficiencies in current proficiency (PSA M = 3.83), particularly vocabulary limitations (M = 4.00) and difficulty expressing ideas fluently (M = 3.93). Students articulated strong learning needs (LN M = 4.41), prioritising frequent oral practice (M = 4.53), immediate constructive feedback (M = 4.40), and teacher modelling. Qualitative analysis identified six themes: linguistic challenges, affective barriers, peer influence, classroom contextual factors, out-of-class environmental factors, and desired teacher support. The consistent convergence of quantitative and qualitative strands strengthens the validity of the findings and generates evidence-based implications for speaking instruction design, teacher professional development, and curriculum policy in Indonesian EFL contexts.​

Academic Integrity of Senior High School Students at St. Paul University Surigao

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 This study examined the academic integrity of the Senior High School Students at St. Paul University Surigao in the new normal. The main instruments used to solicit information were researcher-made questionnaires for the 26 Senior High School teachers and 413 students of St. Paul University Surigao during the school year 2020-2021. Simple random sampling was employed to determine the participants. Data gathered were analyzed using means, standard deviation, t-test, and ANoVa. The teachers perceived that the students under study have high level of academic integrity in the new normal. The students on the other hand perceived that they have very high level of integrity. It was then revealed that there’s a significant difference between the students and teachers’ perceptions on the students’ level of Academic Integrity except for trust behavior. Also, there is a significant degree of variance in the students’ perceptions of their demonstrated respect and responsibility behaviors when considering sex. Despite these differences, it was still concluded that the Senior High School students have demonstrated good academic practices and high level of integrity as they engaged in their flexible learning classes in the new normal. Also, the Paulinian Remote Flexible Learning Scheme of the University is effective in promoting core values in the new normal allowing the learners to still embody and demonstrate the six fundamental values of academic integrity. It is generally recommended that school administrators determine efficient measures to instill to both students and teachers how essential is academic integrity even challenged by the changing times.