EXPLORING CONTEXTUAL PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING PRACTICES WITHIN DEEP LEARNING-ORIENTED ENGLISH INSTRUCTION FOR ANALYTICAL EXPOSITION TEXTS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

Abstract

As Indonesian secondary schools move forward, their educational system is becoming more inclined towards developing meanings, reflective thinking and learner-oriented approaches for deep learning. For English language teaching in particular, critical reasoning and understanding social contexts through reading analytical exposition texts should be the focus. However, conventional classroom learning practices usually make students passive receivers who pay attention to the structural aspects of texts. Consequently, this study investigated contextual Problem-Based Learning (PBL) strategies in teaching analytical exposition texts from deep learning perspective. This study used qualitative case study research with an English teacher and eleventh-grade students at one public senior high school in Indonesia. Data were collected through observations, interviews, document analysis, and reflective field notes. The finding indicates that PBL helped students to collaborate, reflect, analyze, think critically and work contextually in the classroom. Contextual PBL facilitates students' participation in arguing, analyzing socio-cultural issues and writing critically in their analytical exposition text. The implementation of PBL reveals several major features of deep learning including meaningful learning, mindful learning, joyful learning, collaboration, and learner autonomy. Nevertheless, there were some obstacles in PBL practice including time restrictions, unequal participation, varied literacy proficiency among students, and teachers' struggles in forming a context-based learning problem. Overall, contextual PBL plays a vital part in promoting deep learning-oriented English instruction through development of critical literacy in students.