Education Sciences, Vol. 14, Pages 1279: The Adaption of Sustainable Blended Global Discussion (SBGD) in English as a Foreign Language Teaching and Learning

Education Sciences, Vol. 14, Pages 1279: The Adaption of Sustainable Blended Global Discussion (SBGD) in English as a Foreign Language Teaching and Learning

Education Sciences doi: 10.3390/educsci14121279

Authors: Putri Gayatri Helena Sit

The growing significance of English in global communication has heightened interest in sustainable English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instruction. Regrettably, sustainable EFL education has received insufficient attention, especially in the Indonesian context. To address this issue, recent conceptual research by Gayatri et al. has put forth a practical recommendation, namely the Sustainable Blended Global Discussion (SBGD) method, which combines classroom and online learning to engage students in global discussions with foreigners, promoting critical thinking. Despite being constructed on a solid foundation of theory and Indonesian context, the success of SBGD remains to be demonstrated. Hence, a multiple case study was conducted to examine the adaptation of SBGD in EFL classes at different universities. The EFL teachers were interviewed to explore the method’s advantages and challenges. Questionnaires were employed to study the perception and the critical thinking skills of 57 students, with some of them also being interviewed. Results showed that students indicated positive perception of the implementation of SBGD (M = 4.02 and M = 4.05). Additionally, students demonstrated a higher level of critical thinking skills through the teacher’s SBGD implementation in teaching and learning. Furthermore, greater student engagement, improved English language skills, and improved critical thinking were all observed; however, improvements like smaller group discussions, more facilitator involvement, and institutional supports were needed. This study is significant in addressing challenges and recommending the SBGD method as a solution for implementing online technologies in under-resourced contexts, specifically Indonesian higher education. The findings contribute to the literature on blended teaching and digital tools for second language education, with broader implications for similar educational settings.