STUDENTS’ ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING EXPECTATION AT SMK MUHAMMADIYAH 1 BLITAR

N.A. Itauzzakah, 2025. Students’ English Language Learning Expectation at SMK Muhammadiyah 1 Blitar. Thesis. Department of English Language Education.

This study aims to explore students’ expectations regarding English language learning at SMK Muhammadiyah 1 Blitar, with a particular focus on health-related vocational programs such as Nursing and Pharmacy. In vocational education, English is not only viewed as an academic subject but also as a practical skill that supports students’ future careers. Students expect learning materials to be relevant to their field, teaching methods to be interactive and practice-oriented, and teachers to act as facilitators who understand their vocational needs. However, aligning English instruction with students’ vocational demands remains a significant challenge, particularly in providing contextual learning resources and opportunities for practical communication skills within classroom settings. Using a qualitative approach, this study involves 43 students as participants and employs qualitative questionnaires and semi-structured interviews as the main instruments. Thematic analysis was conducted based on the framework of Braun and Clarke (2023) to identify key themes from the data. The findings reveal five major themes: (1) expectations for communicative skills (speaking and writing), (2) expectations for interactive teaching methods, (3) expectations for contextual ESP- based materials, (4) expectations for teacher roles and learning facilities, and (5) the role of English in career preparation. The results indicate that students strongly desire a learning experience that prepares them for real-world communication in the healthcare field. This study offers practical insights for curriculum developers, teachers, and schools to redesign English language learning that is more contextual, engaging, and career-oriented in vocational high schools.