Students' Learning Experiences through English Fun Learning at Junior High School

Abstract

English learning at the junior high school level requires activities that provide students with meaningful and engaging experiences. This study aims to describe students’ learning experiences during the implementation of English Fun Learning at SMP Negeri 2 Mowewe. A descriptive qualitative approach was employed with students of class VIII A as participants. Data were collected through student self-reflection, classroom observation, teacher interviews, documentation, and supporting pre-test and post-test results. The main instrument was a self-reflection sheet covering 15 aspects of students’ learning experiences. Data were analyzed descriptively by identifying recurring themes related to students’ feelings, preferred activities, participation, cognitive experiences, interaction, confidence, and learning difficulties. The findings indicate that students generally responded positively to games, ice-breaking activities, vocabulary learning, visual media, and group activities. Students also reported increased confidence and greater interest in English, although some continued to experience difficulties with pronunciation, vocabulary retention, and understanding word meanings. Supporting test data showed an increase in the mean score from 21.36 to 49.93 among 14 students with complete paired scores