INDONESIAN UNIVERSITY PILOT TOEFL PREPARATION COURSE - STUDENTS’ SUCCESSES AND INSTRUCTORS’ INSIGHTS

Oct 2, 2026

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This study examined the impact of a Pilot TOEFL Preparation Course at an Indonesian university designed to address research gaps in test-taking strategy instruction and the use of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) for integrated listening, structure, and reading skills. Thirteen randomly selected students participated, while nine lecturers collaboratively designed and delivered the course through lectures, vocabulary activities, small-group discussions, practice exercises, and motivational sessions. Mixed-methods action research combined thematic analysis of surveys and lecturers’ reflections with pretest and posttest data to evaluate improvements in English proficiency, TOEFL scores, and teaching practices.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages16

Reading Time40 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Literature gap and course rationale

Research purpose and design

Methods

Participants and course delivery

Data collection and analysis

Results

Student improvements in TOEFL and English

Lecturer reflections on teaching practices

Recommendations and implications

Indonesian Journal of English Education INDONESIAN UNIVERSITY PILOT TOEFL PREPARATION COURSE: STUDENTS’ SUCCESSES AND INSTRUCTORS’ INSIGHTS Shirley Baker1*, Topan Rahmatul Iman2, Liska Novianti Paramitaswari3, Fahmi Dwilaksono4, Maya Fitriana5, Wiren Wirentake6, Riri Rimbun Anggih Chaidir7, Sherry Camden-Anders8 1,8Alliant International University, California, USA 2,3,4,5,6,7Universitas Teknologi Sumbawa, Indonesia ([ibushirley@me.com](ibushirley@me.com)) Received: March 2026; Revised: April 2026; Accepted: June 2026 ABSTRACT This study examined the impact of a Pilot TOEFL Preparation Course at an Indonesian university designed to address research gaps in test-taking strategy instruction and the use of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) for integrated listening, structure, and reading skills. Thirteen randomly selected students participated, while nine lecturers collaboratively designed and delivered the course through lectures, vocabulary activities, small-group discussions, practice exercises, and motivational sessions. A mixed-methods action research design combined thematic analysis of student and lecturer surveys and lecturers’ daily reflections with pretest and posttest data. The study investigated whether the course improved students’ English proficiency, TOEFL scores, and lecturers’ teaching practices. Findings showed that 69% of students improved their posttest scoresand English competencies. Lecturers also reported enhanced pedagogical approaches through collaborative course design. The study recommends longer TOEFL preparation courses and proficiency-based classes to better support university students, contributing practical insights to TESOL and TOEFL instruction. Keywords: Communicative Language Teaching; mixed methods; test strategies; TOEFL Prep Course; vocabulary knowledge ABSTRAK Penelitian ini mengkaji dampak Program Percontohan Kursus Persiapan TOEFL di sebuah universitas di Indonesia yang dirancang untuk mengatasi kesenjangan penelitian mengenai pembelajaran strategi pengerjaan tes dan penerapan Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) untuk mengembangkan keterampilan listening, structure, dan reading secaraterpadu. Sebanyak 13 mahasiswa yang dipilih secara acak berpartisipasi dalam program ini, sementara sembilan dosensecara kolaboratif merancang dan melaksanakan pembelajaran melalui ceramah, kegiatan pengayaan kosakata, diskusikelompok kecil, latihan soal, dan sesi motivasi. Penelitian tindakan dengan pendekatan mixed methods menggabungkan analisis tematik terhadap survei mahasiswa, survei dosen, dan refleksi harian dosen dengan data pre-test dan posttest. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui apakah program tersebut meningkatkan kemampuan bahasa Inggris mahasiswa, skor TOEFL, serta praktik pengajaran dosen. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa 69% mahasiswamemperoleh skor post-test yang lebih tinggi dan mengalami peningkatan kompetensi bahasa Inggris. Para dosen jugamelaporkan bahwa perancangan kursus secara kolaboratif memperkaya pendekatan pedagogis mereka. Penelitian ini merekomendasikan penyelenggaraan kursus persiapan TOEFL dengan durasi yang lebih panjang serta pembagian kelasberdasarkan tingkat kemampuan untuk mendukung kebutuhan belajar mahasiswa. Temuan ini memberikan kontribusipraktis bagi pengembangan pembelajaran TESOL dan TOEFL di perguruan tinggi. Kata Kunci: Communicative Language Teaching; metode campuran; strategi tes; Kursus Persiapan TOEFL; penguasaan kosakata How to Cite: Baker, S., Iman, T. R., Paramitaswari, L. N., Dwilaksono, F., Fitriana, M., Wiren, W., Chaidir, R. R. A., & Camden-Anders, S. (2026). Indonesian University Pilot TOEFL Prep Course: Students’ Successes and Instructors’Insights. IJEE (Indonesian Journal of English Education), 13(1), 1–16. [https://doi.org/10.15408/ijee.v13i1.50465](https://doi.org/10.15408/ijee.v13i1.50465) *Corresponding author IJEE (Indonesian Journal of English Education), 13 (1), 2026 P-ISSN: 2356-1777, E-ISSN:

FAQs

What problem does the Pilot TOEFL Preparation Course aim to solve?

It targets research gaps in how test-taking strategies are taught and how CLT is used to support integrated listening, structure, and reading skills for TOEFL preparation.

How were students and lecturers involved in the course?

Thirteen randomly selected students joined the course, and nine lecturers collaboratively designed and delivered instruction using lectures, vocabulary activities, small-group discussions, practice exercises, and motivational sessions.

What research approach and data were used to evaluate outcomes?

The study used mixed-methods action research, combining thematic analysis of student and lecturer surveys and lecturers’ daily reflections with pretest and posttest data.

Oct 2, 2026

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