Teaching English as a Foreign Language Journal
ISSN 2961-9963
Vol.
No.
October 2024, pp.
Improving social functional text writing in Thai nursing students through contextual teaching and learning:
Insights from classroom action research Shana Noor Izza Priyandara a,1.
Soviyah a,2*.
Noor Qomaria Agustina b,3.
Hamidah Lassamano c,4 Universitas Ahmad Dahlan.
Jl.
Ringroad Selatan.
Kragilan.
Tamanan.
Kec.
Banguntapan.
Kabupaten Bantul.
Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta 55191.
Indonesia Kent State University.
Ohio.
USA Fhisrinthon Child and Elderly Care School Yala.
Yala Province.
Thailand shana2100004056@webmail.
id, 2 soviyah@pbi.
id*, 3 nagustin@kent.
edu, 4 rungnawa17@gmail.
*Corresponding author
ARTICLE INFO
Article history Received 15 July 2024 Revised 20 August 2024 Accepted 5 October 2024 Keywords Contextual Teaching and Learning Nursing Social Functional Text Writing A B ST R A C T ( 1 0 P T ) This study explores the implementation of the Contextual Teaching and Learning (CTL) approach to enhance social functional text writing skills among nursing students at Fhisrinthon Child and Elderly Care School.
Yala.
Thailand.
Social functional texts, such as patient reports and healthcare instructions, are essential for effective communication in The research investigates: .
How is the CTL approach implemented to improve nursing students' writing of social functional texts? .
What improvements in writing abilities and engagement are observed under the CTL approach? Using a classroom action research design, the study follows two iterative cycles of planning, action, observation, and reflection.
Participants include 15 nursing students, with data collected through writing tasks, classroom observations, interviews, and reflective journals.
Writing scores are analyzed quantitatively, while qualitative data are examined thematically.
Findings indicate that the CTL approach, integrating real-life nursing contexts, significantly improves studentsAo writing.
Key strategies include aligning learning objectives with nursing-specific materials, vocabulary building, dialogue creation, and role-play activities in simulated hospital settings.
Writing scores improved from 67.
to 75 (Cycle .
6 (Cycle .
Students also reported increased motivation, engagement, and satisfaction with the learning process.
This research highlights the effectiveness of the CTL approach in nursing education, demonstrating its role in enhancing both writing skills and communication competencies essential for nursing practice.
It offers practical insights for educators integrating contextually relevant teaching methods into English language instruction for healthcare professionals.
A The Authors 2024.
Published by Universitas Ahmad Dahlan This is an open access article under the CCAeBY-SA license.
https://doi.
org/10.
12928/teflj.
http://journal1.
id/index.
php/tefl/index tefl@mpbi.
ISSN 2961-9963
Teaching English as Foreign Language Journal Vol.
No.
October 2024, pp.
How to Cite: Priyandara, et al.
, .
Improving social functional text writing in Thai nursing students through contextual teaching and learning: Insights from classroom action.
Teaching English as a Foreign Language Journal, 3.
, 96-110.
https://doi.
org/10.
12928/teflj.
Introduction English has become a global communication language in today's world, overcoming linguistic and cultural barriers everywhere.
Its function goes beyond interpersonal relationships to professional settings, where proficient English communication is now essential.
One industry where proficiency in English can make the difference between providing patients with good treatment and serious misunderstandings is healthcare.
English has become one of the essential skills for nursing students in Thailand, especially for those who will work in large hospitals such as in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand.
In these hospitals, they will meet various situations that require cross-cultural communication skills, including interacting with patients and healthcare professionals from different These institutions demand not only technical expertise but also the capacity for clear and professional communication in English.
According to Nguyen .
English is a means of communication that connects people on Earth, helping them understand each other, and also exchange material, cultural, and spiritual values of their own countries.
Therefore, mastery of English, especially in the context of professional communication is essential for their career success after graduation (Soviyah et al.
, 2023.
Soviyah & Etikaningsih, 2.
In the context of nursing, the ability to communicate effectively in English is essential, both in spoken and written forms.
Social Functional Text, or texts that serve a function in social interaction, is one type of text taught in this context.
This text usually takes the form of conversational dialogue that reflects a specific social situation.
In the field of nursing, this text plays an important role as it involves various forms of communication between nurses and patients, doctors, or other colleagues.
These social functional texts include situations such as giving instructions to patients, requesting clarification from doctors, or interacting with patients' families, all of which require the use of appropriate and effective Other examples of social functional texts in the nursing context include documenting patient symptoms in medical records, writing discharge instructions, and composing professional emails to colleagues.
These types of texts are crucial as they ensure accurate communication in critical healthcare settings and help prevent misunderstandings that could affect patient care.
The risk of miscommunication will increase because they will face the challenges of communication with an increasingly diverse patient population from different culture, linguistic, and socio-economic backgrounds in this globalizing world (Cox & Li, 2.
Thus, the ability to understand and compose social functional texts is very important because nurses must be able to communicate clearly and effectively in various medical and social situations in the hospital.
Despite its importance, nursing students in Thailand face several challenges in writing social functional texts.
In the context of Fhisrinthon Child and Elderly Care School Yala Thailand, there were some problems identified during the preliminary research.
The most prominent problem was the fact that although the students have had basic English skills acquired from school, their vocabulary, particularly in healthcare-related terms, remained limited.
Additionally, they have been accustomed to writing, reading, and speaking in the Thai alphabet and accent, which makes it difficult for them to write English with correct spelling and pronunciation.
And this affected their abilities in writing social functional texts.
Many students also lacked the confidence to communicate in English, further hindering their ability to compose effective texts.
Due to these complex causes, the English learning process tended to be passive and monotonous.
Therefore, the students needed guidance on using English in a formal and polite manner, which was essential for professional interactions in the healthcare environment.
These problems highlight a significant research gap: while studies have explored English writing challenges among general ESL students, there is limited research specifically addressing the difficulties faced by Thai nursing students in writing social functional Addressing this gap will contribute to the field of nursing education by providing targeted strategies for improving students' writing skills in professional contexts.
Priyandara, et al.
(Improving social functional text A.
Teaching English as Foreign Language Journal Vol.
No.
October 2024, pp.
ISSN 2961-9963
In finding solutions to these problems, there is one fundamental thing that must be kept in mind and used as a guide, i.
, the English learning process in this nursing school should be designed and managed in such a way that it is relevant to the professional needs of the students.
Among ELT approaches, one approach that is most potentially meeting the needs is Contextual Teaching and Learning (CTL).
CTL is a learning approach that emphasizes the importance of the relationship between the material being taught and real-life contexts.
According to Hasibuan .
CTL is a learning process aimed at helping students understand the material being taught and relate it to their daily lives so that they can actively construct knowledge through their flexible abilities and This method aims to help students better understand the material through relevant and applicable experiences.
In its application, learning does not only focus on the direct transfer of knowledge but also encourages students to actively engage in the learning process through real-life situations they will encounter in the workplace.
CTL learning strategy makes it possible to create a supportive learning environment where students can develop their ability to work in groups, increases the opportunities for students to actively participate in the process of building knowledge, skills, and attitudes in groups, provides recognition for both individual and group accomplishments, and allows for more control over the ability level of students (Lotulung.
Ibrahim, & Tumurang, 2.
Therefore, this method emphasizes collaboration, active student engagement, and the application of theory to real practice, which is highly suitable for learning in the field of nursing.
Recent studies have explored the application of Contextual Teaching and Learning (CTL) in nursing education.
One of these studies is a research by Rohmah et al .
entitled The Development of Contextual Learning Models through Collaboration between Lecturers.
Students, and Village Governments in Nursing Education.
It took a focus on maternal and child health programs in rural Indonesia.
It found that such collaboration enhances students' practical skills and community engagement.
Similarly, a study by Uliyah et al.
, entitled A Blended Learning using Contextual Teaching Learning: Strengthening Nursing StudentsAo Procedural Knowledge and Inter-professional Collaboration was conducted to develop blended learning using contextual learning and evaluate its effect on procedural knowledge and inter-professional collaboration.
The results indicated that positive, blended learning using contextual learning was effective for increasing procedural knowledge and inter-professional collaboration in nursing students.
Additionally, a study by Martynez-Galiano et al.
examined a teaching model which was design to be centered on the nursing care context and personalized learning, and its association with knowledge acquisition.
The result of this study stated that the teaching model increased the studentAos acquisition of knowledge, even though this was not reflected in the global grade of the course.
While these studies highlight the benefits of CTL in nursing education, there is a lack of research specifically addressing the challenges faced by Thai nursing students in writing social functional texts in English.
This gap underscores the need for studies focusing on the application of CTL to enhance English writing skills among nursing students in Thailand, particularly in composing social functional texts relevant to their professional practice.
This research aims to explore the application of the CTL method in teaching social functional texts and its impact on studentsAo ability to write dialogues based on real-life hospital scenarios.
Previous studies indicate that CTL helps students analyze and construct meaningful paragraphs by understanding what to write, audience expectations, and relevant language aspects (Satriani.
Emilia, & Gunawan, 2.
By using contextual and situational-based learning, this study seeks to enhance students' mastery of nursing and medical vocabulary and their ability to write professional dialogues reflecting social functional interactions in nursing contexts.
Writing skills, though essential, remain challenging for second or foreign language learners (Jubhari, 2.
To address these aims, the research focuses on two questions:
How is the CTL approach implemented to improve nursing students' ability to write social functional texts? What are the improvements in students' ability to write socially functional texts and in students' engagement in learning under the CTL approach? Priyandara, et al.
(Improving social functional text A.
ISSN 2961-9963
Teaching English as Foreign Language Journal Vol.
No.
October 2024, pp.
Through this research, it is hoped that deeper insights will be gained on how the CTL approach can be applied in English language learning in nursing schools in Thailand.
In addition, the results of this research are expected to contribute to the development of more contextual and applicable teaching approaches, so that nursing students can master English better to support their professional careers in the future.
Theoretical Review Contextual Teaching and Learning in ELT Context Contextual Teaching and Learning (CTL) is a teaching approach that connects language instruction to real-life contexts, enhancing students' understanding and application of the language in meaningful ways.
Rooted in constructivist theories.
CTL emphasizes that knowledge is best constructed when learners engage with authentic and relatable situations.
In English language teaching (ELT).
CTL incorporates principles of situated cognition, which posits that learning occurs effectively when tasks reflect real-world language use.
For example, instead of focusing solely on grammar drills, learners are encouraged to practice English through scenarios like writing emails, engaging in role-plays, or creating content such as videos, allowing them to connect the language with practical applications.
Theoretically.
CTL aligns with social constructivist theories, which emphasize the role of interaction and collaboration in learning.
Teaching strategies such as group discussions, peer feedback, and collaborative projects are central in CTL.
These strategies enable students to practice communication skills while constructing knowledge collectively.
In ELT classrooms, in addition to the strategies, such tasks as planning a group presentation or solving realworld problems using English, foster not only language proficiency but also critical thinking and The applications of CTL in the context of ELT have been reported by various studies which highlight the positive impact of CTL in ELT.
For instance, studies have shown that project-based learning, a CTL strategy, enhances English learners' speaking skills and boosts their confidence in using the language in practical settings (Wahyuningsih, 2.
Similarly, integrating contextualized reading materialsAisuch as articles or narratives related to students' cultural or social contextsAihas been proven effective in improving reading comprehension and vocabulary acquisition (Kung, 2019.
Barzilai et al.
, 2018.
Piazza et al.
, 2.
Under the CTL approach, teachers play a pivotal role in the classrooms.
They act as facilitators who design meaningful tasks and guide learners in connecting the language to studentsAo personal lives and future aspirations (Kessler, 2.
One of the CTL based English programs which portrays the implementation of CTL is English service learning and community-based projects where teachers serve as facilitators.
Through these kinds of projects, students get opportunities to practice their English while addressing real community needs, fostering both language skills and civic awareness.
And teachers assist throughout the program and are ready for assistance and help.
This way.
CTL in ELT supports holistic language learning as it bridges the gap between academic content and the practical use of English in diverse, real-world situations (Cress et al.
, 2.
Social Functional Text Social functional texts are forms of communication designed to achieve specific purposes in social interactions, such as requesting, apologizing, inviting, or giving advice.
Rooted in Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), these texts emphasize how language serves social purposes through three meta functions: ideational .
epresenting idea.
, interpersonal .
anaging social relationship.
, and textual .
tructuring messages effectivel.
Of the three functions, the interpersonal metafunction is central to social functional texts.
It focuses on how language constructs relationships, negotiates power dynamics, and expresses attitudes.
For instance, an invitation typically includes polite expressions, context-specific details, and a request for confirmation, reflecting its goal of fostering social connection (Armstrong & Ferguson, 2010.
Fang & Schleppegrell, 2010.
Banks, 2.
Priyandara, et al.
(Improving social functional text A.
Teaching English as Foreign Language Journal Vol.
No.
October 2024, pp.
ISSN 2961-9963
One of the subsets of social functional texts is conversational texts (Ginns et al.
, 2013.
Feine et , 2019.
Wang et al.
, 2.
These kinds of texts are particularly vital in maintaining interpersonal relationships and achieving mutual understanding.
In casual dialogues, speakers employ strategies such as turn-taking, adjacency pairs, and politeness markers to maintain conversational flow and convey social intentions.
Recent studies underscore the importance of these elements in achieving successful communication.
For example.
Liu et al.
, .
examined the structure of requests in conversational texts among EFL learners, highlighting how cultural and social norms influence linguistic choices.
Similarly.
Guan et al.
analyzed apologies in cross-cultural interactions, revealing how linguistic expressions vary depending on context and relationships, yet universally aim to restore harmony.
In ELT context, the role of social functional texts in education is equally significant.
integrating authentic conversational texts into English language teaching, teachers can help students develop both linguistic competence and pragmatic skills, ensuring they can use language effectively in real-life social contexts.
In sum, social functional texts are integral to understanding how language operates as a tool for achieving social goals, maintaining relationships, and navigating cultural These insights guide both research and pedagogy, enriching our understanding of communication in diverse settings.
Method This study adopted a Classroom Action Research (CAR) design to enhance studentsAo ability to write social functional texts through the Contextual Teaching and Learning (CTL) approach.
CAR
was chosen due to its reflective and cyclical nature, which allows for continuous improvement of teaching strategies based on real-time observations and assessments.
Unlike experimental or quasiexperimental designs that focus on static interventions.
CAR enables iterative refinements tailored to the specific learning context (Carr & Kemmis, 1986.
Soviyah & Bestari, 2.
It is particularly suitable for enhancing writing skills within the CTL approach, as it emphasizes active student participation and immediate application of learning experiences in authentic scenarios.
The research followed a cyclical process consisting of planning, acting, observing, and reflecting, which was conducted over two cycles (Burns, 2.
Each cycle aimed to identify challenges, implement interventions, and evaluate outcomes systematically.
In the planning phase, lesson plans and instructional materials were developed based on CTL principles, including real-life case studies and scenario-based writing exercises.
During the action phase, students engaged in structured writing activities, peer reviews, and role-play simulations relevant to their future nursing careers.
The observation phase involved structured classroom observations to monitor student engagement, participation, and challenges.
Finally, in the reflection phase, insights from observations and student feedback were analyzed to refine the instructional approach for the next cycle.
Each reflection phase informed subsequent cycles by identifying areas needing further improvement, such as vocabulary expansion or enhanced scaffolding in writing activities.
The subjects of the research were 15 students enrolled in Fhisrinthon Child and Elderly Care School, a nursing academy in Yala Thailand during the 2024 academic year.
A purposive sampling technique was employed, as the selected students demonstrated a need for improvement in writing social functional texts relevant to their vocational training and future professional roles.
The small sample size was justified by the need for in-depth observation and intervention, allowing for a more detailed analysis of student progress.
However, this limitation in sample size should be acknowledged in terms of generalizability, as findings may not be broadly applicable beyond this specific educational setting.
The study took place in the studentsAo regular English classroom over a four-week period.
Data were collected using multiple techniques, including classroom observations, student writing tasks, interviews, and reflective tasks.
Classroom observations were conducted using a structured approach, with a checklist to assess student participation, interaction, and language use.
These observations occurred twice per week, each lasting 60 minutes.
Interviews were administered in a semi-structured Priyandara, et al.
(Improving social functional text A.
ISSN 2961-9963
Teaching English as Foreign Language Journal Vol.
No.
October 2024, pp.
format, allowing flexibility in responses while ensuring key themes were addressed.
Reflective tasks required students to document their learning experiences, challenges, and self-assessments after each lesson, providing qualitative data on their progress.
The instruments utilized included observation checklists, writing rubrics, interview guidelines, and reflective sheets.
Observation checklists were developed based on established frameworks for assessing classroom engagement and language proficiency.
Writing rubrics were adapted from standardized English proficiency assessment criteria, ensuring reliability in evaluating students' progress in writing social functional texts.
The interview guidelines were designed to cover key aspects such as writing challenges, learning experiences, and perceived effectiveness of CTL.
enhance the studyAos credibility, these instruments underwent expert validation by language education specialists and nursing educators.
Inter-rater reliability measures were also applied in the assessment of writing samples to ensure consistency in scoring.
Student writing samples, specifically social functional texts, served as primary data sources, with performance assessed based on task-specific rubrics.
Data from observations, interviews, and reflective journals were analyzed qualitatively to identify patterns and insights, while quantitative data from writing scores were statistically analyzed to evaluate improvements across cycles.
Findings and Discussion Findings Implementation of Contextual Teaching and Learning (CTL) to Enhance Social Functional Text Writing Skill To find out the studentsAo initial competency in writing social functional texts, a pretest was Additionally, a preliminary study was also conducted by doing a classroom observation and an interview with the English teacher.
The results of these activities helped the researchers to identify the studentsAo proficiency, particularly in terms of their vocabulary mastery and writing skill.
The results indicated that the majority of students had quite low English language skills with the average score of 67.
It included their performance in using basic vocabulary and writing social functional text.
During the planning stage of both cycles, such activities as formulating learning objectives, preparing materials and media, as well as assessment plan were carefully designed and planned.
The learning method implemented was Contextual Teaching and Learning (CTL).
As for the learning objectives, the studentsAo ability in writing social functional text became the main learning objective.
Additionally, mastering and using basic vocabulary in English related to the nursing context and everyday conversations in a hospital were included in the targeted objectives as well.
With these objectives, the materials were then prepared which covered basic conversational vocabulary of 5W1H .
hat, who, why, where, when, ho.
which were completed with their meanings, pronunciation, grammar, usage, functions, and examples in presented in some conversational text of nursing and healthcare context.
Moreover, some examples of social functional texts relevant to the medical field, such as terms for medical equipment and medical procedures used in professional communication in hospitals, as well as names of common diseases were also listed as the materials.
These materials were taught to the students during both cycles using the Contextual Teaching and Learning approach.
Meanwhile.
Canva was used as the main learning medium of which the researchers used to teach the materials.
In the acting and observing stages, the implementation of the CTL approach was fully conducted.
While the CTL implementation was in progress, an English teacher and a colleague researcher serving as observers observed the process.
During these stages, the CTL approach implementation was applied by actively involving students in the learning process.
Learning began with the introduction of vocabulary through the visualization of images related to nursing terms, allowing students to directly associate words with real objects.
During the presentation of the material, the students were asked to repeat the pronunciation demonstrated by the researcher teacher to ensure Priyandara, et al.
(Improving social functional text A.
Teaching English as Foreign Language Journal Vol.
No.
October 2024, pp.
ISSN 2961-9963
their pronunciation was correct.
After the vocabulary building session, the students were given exercises to create social functional texts in the form of conversational dialogues using 5W1H vocabulary in the context of nursing and hospital life.
In this activity, the students were asked to create dialogues based on situations they might encounter in a hospital.
Each student was paired up and collaborated to compose the dialogues using the newly learned vocabulary.
The dialogues reflected interactions that were relevant to their future work as nurses, such as communicating with patients or providing medical instructions.
In pairs, the students were required to write the results of their work on a sheet of paper as a form of writing social functional text practice.
After the dialogue writing session was completed, the CTL approach was applied by changing the classroom into a hospital setting and learning activity was done under a role-play activity.
The students took the roles of doctors, nurses, and patients and practiced the conversational dialogues they created previously.
This way.
CTL approach made its way into the classroom and made the learning experience more interactive and practical as the students did interaction and collaboration in teams while creating a fun and participatory learning atmosphere.
Moreover.
CTL provided the students a chance to apply the vocabulary they have learned to real-life situations.
As of the reflecting stage, it was done in between cycle 1 and 2.
Since the success indicators were already achieved in cycle 1, there were not many things to be followed up in cycle 2.
However, the results of the reflection between the researcher and the observers informed that in order to improve the performance of the students, both in the competence of writing social functional texts and in the activity in class, the implementation of CTL needed to be intensified, especially in terms of the roleplay method used and a little classroom setting.
Finally, with these small changes, the students' performance at the end of cycle 2 improved significantly.
Students Improvement The implementation of the Contextual Teaching and Learning (CTL) approach demonstrated a clear improvement in students' writing performance.
The graph titled "Students' Writing Improvement" illustrates the writing scores of 15 nursing students across three stages: the pretest, cycle 1, and cycle 2.
The pretest score is the initial score, cycle 1 is the score after 2 weeks of teaching, and cycle 2 is the score after 4 weeks of teaching.
Table 1.
StudentsAo score of each stage
Students Score
Pretest
Posttest of cycle 1
Posttest of cycle 2
Mean
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Priyandara, et al.
(Improving social functional text A.
ISSN 2961-9963
Teaching English as Foreign Language Journal Vol.
No.
October 2024, pp.
In the pretest stage, students' average score was 67.
2, with the majority scoring closer to the lower This indicates that before the CTL-based intervention, students had limited skills in constructing social functional texts relevant to their nursing context.
Following the first cycle of CTL-based learning, the students showed a noticeable improvement, with their average scores When presented in the form of a graph, the improvement in students' ability to write socially functional text from pretest, cycle 1 posttest, and cycle 2 posttest appears as shown in Figure Fig.
StudentsAo social functional text writing improvement This improvement highlights the effectiveness of integrating CTL in teaching vocabulary and writing tasks.
The use of contextualized scenarios and 5W1H vocabulary focus seemed to help students understand how to create dialogues relevant to nursing context.
By the second cycle, students' scores further increased, hitting the average of 78.
This progression signifies that students became more proficient in applying the 5W1H vocabulary in constructing dialogues.
The repetitive use of real-world scenarios reinforced their writing social functional text skills and demonstrated the CTL approachAos impact on student learning outcomes.
Zooming into the studentsAo writing works produced by the students provide insights into their progress across two cycles of implementing the Contextual Teaching and Learning (CTL) approach.
Below is an analysis of specific dialogue texts from cycle 1 and cycle 2, focusing on the grammatical accuracy and contextual relevance of their responses.
In the first cycle, the students began practicing dialogue construction using the 5W1H vocabulary in contextually relevant nursing situations.
While their work demonstrated contextual appropriateness, minor grammatical errors were evident.
Dialogue 1 Student FY: How meny days have you have stomach pain? Patient: I've had stomach pain for 2-3 days.
This dialogue reflects the students' ability to create a conversation relevant to the given scenario.
However, minor mistakes such as the misspelling of "many" as "meny" and the repetition of "have" instead of "had" indicate areas for grammatical improvement.
Priyandara, et al.
(Improving social functional text A.
Teaching English as Foreign Language Journal Vol.
No.
October 2024, pp.
ISSN 2961-9963
Dialogue 2 Student NH: How long have been sick? Patient: ItAos been 2 months already.
While the students accurately employed the question word "How long" to ask about the duration of the illness, the omission of the pronoun "you" in the question structure "How long have been sick" highlights another grammatical oversight.
These errors, while minor, underscore the need for further practice and guided instruction to enhance accuracy.
In the second cycle, after the application of CTL strategies, the students demonstrated marked improvement in their dialogue construction.
Their work showcased both grammatical accuracy and contextual appropriateness, as seen in the following Dialogue 3 Student AP: How many days have you been having a stomach ache? Patient: ItAos been 4 days.
This dialogue demonstrates the correct usage of the question word "How" to inquire about the duration of the patient's illness.
The students successfully avoided prior errors and constructed a precise and contextually relevant interaction.
Dialogue 4 Student AS: What medicine did you get? Patient: Cough syrup.
The students accurately used AuWhatAy to inquire about the type of medication, reflecting an improved understanding of question formation in nursing-related contexts.
Dialogue 5 Student ID: Where is the medicine room? Nurse: 1st floor.
This dialogue highlights the studentsAo proper use of "Where" to ask about a location, showing their ability to formulate clear and appropriate questions in context.
The implementation of Contextual Teaching and Learning (CTL) not only enhanced students' ability to construct grammatically correct and contextually relevant dialogues but also positively impacted their engagement in the form of interest, motivation, and level of activeness during the learning process.
This progress is evident when comparing the data from interviews and reflective journals from cycle 1 and cycle 2.
Interest Students' interest in the learning process showed a noticeable improvement between the two In cycle 1.
Student AP described the lesson as AufunAy and Auunderstandable,Ay indicating that the learning activities were enjoyable and easy to follow.
Moreover, in cycle 2.
Student AS expressed a stronger sense of enjoyment and satisfaction by stating.
AuThe teaching is very good, teaching is easy to understand.
Ay The use of Auvery goodAy reflects heightened interest and engagement with the teaching method, suggesting that the CTL approach contributed to an even more positive learning Priyandara, et al.
(Improving social functional text A.
ISSN 2961-9963
Teaching English as Foreign Language Journal Vol.
No.
October 2024, pp.
Motivation The CTL method also led to an increase in studentsAo motivation to learn English.
In cycle 1.
Student NH stated.
AuI feel proud to be able to speak English,Ay which highlights a sense of achievement and confidence gained from participating in the lesson.
By cycle 2, this initial pride evolved into a more proactive attitude, as evidenced by the comment.
AuI love to memorize English Ay This shift from simply feeling proud to actively wanting to memorize vocabulary demonstrates a deeper motivation to continue learning and practicing English, spurred by the meaningful and engaging learning activities.
Activeness The students' level of activeness in the classroom also improved significantly.
In cycle 1.
Student AS remarked.
AuYou wonAot feel sleepy after studying,Ay indicating that the lesson was engaging enough to keep students attentive and active.
By cycle 2, this engagement transformed into active participation in the learning activities.
For example.
Student AF mentioned.
AuI will recite the vocabulary,Ay reflecting their increased willingness to practice English vocabulary by reading and repeating words aloud during the lesson.
This improvement illustrates how the CTL approach encouraged not only enjoyment but also active involvement in the learning process.
Discussion The results of this study indicate that the application of Contextual Teaching and Learning (CTL) in teaching social functional texts contributes to the improvement of students' writing skills, particularly in creating dialogues based on real situations in hospitals.
This finding aligns with classical constructivist learning theories of Piaget and Vygotsky, which emphasize the importance of active engagement and meaningful learning experiences.
CTL fosters an environment where learners construct knowledge through authentic experiences, making it particularly effective for vocational education settings like nursing.
Through CTL-based learning, students can apply nursing vocabulary in simple dialogues, as seen in the students' work.
In the first cycle, on average the students had minor errors in writing dialogues.
These errors include writing errors to grammatical During the pre-test, studentsAo average score was only 67.
Then after using the CTL approach, their work results improved with no errors in cycle 2 and an increase in score to 78.
This is in accordance with a study conducted by Jayanti and Rozimela .
which states that the use of the CTL method in learning English has been proven to increase students' work scores in a certain time span from the cycle 1 to the cycle 2.
In terms of vocabulary improvement, which is one of the crucial aspects in social functional texts, the use of CTL allows students to practice vocabulary relevant to their future jobs.
In the context of nursing, the use of the 5W1H vocabulary, such as how, what, and where, has been effectively utilized by students to formulate questions relevant to their duties as nurses, for instance, in inquiring about a patient's condition or the location of medical facilities.
This data shows that the use of real and relevant contexts in contextual learning helps students master learning material that is meaningful to their lives (Latief, 2.
The use of CTL which emphasizes student involvement in learning allows them to use their knowledge in the field of nursing to write using English.
Of course, this will increase their ability to master English vocabulary, which is supported by high motivation as a result of learning under the field they like (Bera, 2016.
Soviyah & Bestari, 2.
However, though the use of CTL has proven effective in helping students understand vocabulary and its usage in the context of nursing, there are several weaknesses in students' writing skills that need to be addressed.
It should be noted that there are typographical errors in some of the dialogues produced by the students.
For example, in the second dialogue, there is the sentence "How meny days have you have stomach pain?", where there is a typo "meny" that should be "many" and the repetition of the word "have" which is unnecessary.
This reflects the importance of the proofreading and editing process in writing learning process, so that students become more careful in producing accurate texts.
Although mistakes like this may not affect the information conveyed, correcting them can make the Priyandara, et al.
(Improving social functional text A.
Teaching English as Foreign Language Journal Vol.
No.
October 2024, pp.
ISSN 2961-9963
information easier to read and understand (Kongkaew & Cedar, 2.
Apart from that, there are still students' works that have not applied pronouns correctly, such as in the sentence "How long have been sick?" which has not yet used the pronoun "you" to indicate that someone is asking someone else in this sentence.
This is in accordance with research conducted by Mufidah and Islam .
which states that word omission in students' writing results are the most frequent occurrence in terms of grammar errors and it is necessary for the teacher's role to pay more attention to this.
Although this mistake is considered minor, it is still important to correct it so that students can get used to writing more accurately, especially in professional situations like in a hospital.
The need for targeted grammar instruction alongside CTL activities is evident, as grammatical accuracy plays a crucial role in professional communication, especially in nursing settings where miscommunication can have serious consequences.
As of the studentsAo engagement, the observation results show that under CTL approach implementation, the students are very enthusiastic and actively contribute in every stage or activity of the learning process.
The use of the CTL approach, which emphasizes the relevance between learning materials and the professional nursing world, successfully increased their interest and This is in accordance with previous research that states that the presence of a need in learning can serve as a driving force that generates motivation and interest in students' learning (Astuti.
Novita, & Ismail, 2.
At the beginning of the learning, students only stated that learning English using the CTL approach was fun.
However, in the second cycle of CTL-based learning, they said that learning became more enjoyable and easier to understand.
In addition, using the CTL method increases their motivation to use English in their daily lives.
This is because the use of CTL can improve students' ability to understand the material taught through topics that are relevant to their lives and use the facts or knowledge, they previously knew to apply to their English writing skills (Rahman & Ekkayokkaya, 2.
Fun learning that is based on things they enjoy, such as work situations in a hospital, also enhances their engagement in activities like role-play and dialogue.
Furthermore, the implementation of CTL approach which is also combined with paired activities in writing dialogues and role playing provides students with the opportunity to communicate and Collaborative learning like this helps students develop communication and teamwork skills, which are essential in the nursing workforce.
This collaboration aligns with the CTL component of a learning community that allows students to exchange ideas and support one another, enhancing their critical thinking and practical skills (Tari & Rosana, 2.
Not only collaboration skills, but they also have the opportunity to get feedback on what they have created.
This is done by presenting the results of the dialogue in front of the class by reading it with teammates according to the roles played in the dialogue.
The use of the CTL method in English language learning which is carried out with group work activities can provide students with the opportunity to get feedback (Rahman & Ekkayokkaya, 2.
However, despite its effectiveness.
CTL has some limitations.
One drawback observed in this study was the varying levels of student engagement.
While some students actively participated in contextual activities, others remained hesitant.
This finding is consistent with prior research (Rahman & Ekkayokkaya, 2.
, which suggests that the success of CTL depends on students' willingness to engage in interactive learning.
Additionally, it is essential to acknowledge that CTL may not be equally effective for all learners.
Some students require more structured instruction and explicit grammar teaching to reinforce language accuracy.
Therefore.
CTL requires well-designed learning materials and substantial instructor preparation, which may pose challenges in larger classrooms with limited resources.
Future studies should explore a blended approach that combines CTL with direct grammar instruction to optimize learning outcomes.
Overall, this study contributes to the growing body of literature on English language teaching in vocational settings.
By incorporating real-life nursing scenarios, students were able to practice relevant vocabulary and improve their ability to construct professional dialogues.
However, further research is needed to explore long-term retention of writing skills and the impact of CTL on other aspects of language proficiency, such as reading and listening.
Additionally, future studies should examine how digital tools can further enhance CTL implementation in diverse classroom settings.
Priyandara, et al.
(Improving social functional text A.
ISSN 2961-9963
Teaching English as Foreign Language Journal Vol.
No.
October 2024, pp.
The implications of this research are significant for English language teaching in the context of The CTL approach integrated with collaborative learning can be applied more broadly to enhance students' practical English skills, particularly in workplace communication.
The findings also emphasize the importance of providing continuous grammar support and structured feedback to ensure students develop both communicative competence and grammatical accuracy.
Conclusion Based on the research findings and discussion, it can be concluded that the implementation of Contextual Teaching and Learning (CTL) in teaching social functional texts at Fhisrinthon Child and Elderly Care School Yala Thailand was conducted successfully.
Students showed significant improvement in their writing skills, particularly in creating dialogues based on real situations in Before the implementation of CTL, students had limited English vocabulary related to nursing and struggled to construct sentences in English for daily conversations reaching the average score of 67.
However, after the implementation of the CTL approach, they were able to expand their nursing-related vocabulary, create English dialogue sentences, and demonstrate increased enthusiasm for learning hitting the average score of 78.
Moreover, they showed better engagement by actively participating in the activities applying the social functional conversational texts they newly learned without feeling burdened, as the approach aligned with their interests and professional The high student engagement and enhanced learning interest and motivation indicate that the CTL approach effectively connected the subject matter with the relevant professional world, thereby improving both their interest and participation.
Based on the results of this study, itAos suggested that teachers who plan to use the CTL approach in teaching English writing skills should carefully plan and manage the process as well as provide guidance to the students in order to help them better perform their writing skills.
The researcher also recommends applying the CTL approach to other English language skills, such as reading, listening, and speaking, in future research to explore its impact on studentsAo overall language abilities.
Acknowledgment Our sincere gratitude and appreciation goes to the head of the English Education Study Program UAD Yogyakarta Indonesia for the support, invaluable guidance, insightful advice, and knowledge that helped the researchers finish the program and the research.
Last but not least, we would like to thank the principle of Fhisrinthon Nursing School Yala Thailand and all the staffs and students who welcomed us warmly and gave us an unforgettable teaching and researching experience.
Declarations Author contribution Shana Noor Izza P.
was responsible for the entire research project.
She managed and conducted the research data collection process Soviyah, fully contributed to the drafting and writing process of the manuscript and collaborated with the other two authors.
Noor Qomaria and Hamidah Lassamano participated in the revision, completion, and proofreading stages of the manuscript writing.
Funding statement This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Additional We, as authors, affirm that this research adheres to the ethical regulations of our university.
We obtained necessary permissions from relevant institutes during the data collection process.
We support the principles of academic integrity and honesty as upheld by the Teaching English as a Foreign Language Journal (TEFLJ) and Priyandara, et al.
(Improving social functional text A.
Teaching English as Foreign Language Journal Vol.
No.
October 2024, pp.
ISSN 2961-9963
maintain high standards of personal conduct in our professional REFERENCES