FRAMEWORK OF VACATIONAL ENGLISH TEACHING MANAGEMENT IN INDONESIA: A LOOK FROM BATAM AS INDUSTRIAL CITY

Abstract

At the vocational school level, the primary objective of English teaching is to enhance students' listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in relation to workplace contexts. The effectiveness of vocational English teaching instruction significantly impacts the relevance and quality of knowledge and skills students acquire for their future careers. This study seeks to conduct a comprehensive and in-depth examination of the challenges in managing vocational English teaching in schools which located in Batam City, an industrial hub in Indonesia. To accomplish the research goals, the authors employed qualitative research methodologies to naturally and thoroughly explore field phenomena. The study involved 62 vocational school principals, 4 school supervisors, 71 vocational English teachers, and 4,035 vocational students in Batam City. Research techniques included field observations, document analysis, and detailed interviews to identify key issues in the vocational English teaching management process. Data processing involved initial collection, reduction, presentation, analysis, verification and validation, conclusion drawing, and recommendation formulation. The study's findings reveal that: 1) Vocational English teaching management in Batam City encompasses planning, implementation, and evaluation functions. 2) These management components have not been executed effectively and efficiently. 3) The primary challenge in managing of vocational English teaching in Batam City lies in the planning phase, where vocational English teaching materials are not adequately aligned with workplace contexts. This research provides valuable insights for government, educational departments, vocational school principals, English teachers, and industry stakeholders to design and implement vocational English programs that align with workplace demand. The implications of this study extend to improving students' English proficiency and preparedness for entering the workforce, especially in Batam City.