THE PROBLEMATIC NATURE OF ENGLISH TEACHERS’ WEEKNESS TO IMPROVE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the problems faced by English teachers in improving student’ achievement at MTS Raudlatul Falah. This research employed a qualitative descriptive design to explore teachers’ readiness and the challenges encountered in the teaching ang learning process. The study was conducted at MTS Raudlatul Falah involving two English teachers and several eighth-grade students selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through interviews, classroom observations, and documentation, and were analyzed using the interactive model of miles, Huberman, and Saldana, including data collection, data condensation, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings showed that English teachers had generally prepared learning materials based on the curriculum, syllabus, lesson plans, and textbooks; however, the development of contextual and authentic materials remained limited. In terms of teaching methods, teachers employed lectures, question and answer sessions, assignment, discussions, and simple conversation practices, yet teacher centered instruction was still dominant. The use of learning media was also limited, with teachers relying mostly on textbooks and basic classroom facilities. These conditions effected students’ motivation, participation, vocabulary mastery, pronunciation practice, and in summary English learning achievement.