Pre-Service English Teachers’ Digital Pedagogy Development through Project-Based Learning in TEFL Classrooms
Abstract
This qualitative descriptive study investigates how Project-Based Learning (PjBL) supports pre-service English teachers’ digital pedagogy development in a TEFL classroom. Although previous studies have examined technology integration and digital competence in teacher education, limited attention has been given to how pre-service teachers develop pedagogical reasoning while designing digital English teaching media through project-based experiences. This study involved 20 sixth-semester students in the English Education Study Program, Faculty of Education and Literature, Universitas Bosowa, Indonesia. Data were collected through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, reflective journals, and documentation of students’ digital teaching media projects. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify patterns related to learning experiences, digital media development, collaboration, reflection, and challenges. The findings reveal that PjBL functioned as a bridge between TEFL theory and teaching practice by encouraging students to transform pedagogical concepts into meaningful digital learning resources. The project supported the development of pedagogical creativity, technology-informed instructional decision-making, collaboration, and reflective awareness as future English teachers. The findings also indicate that students gradually shifted from focusing on digital tools as products toward understanding technology as a means to achieve learning objectives. However, students experienced challenges related to technical skills, pedagogical alignment, and time management. The study contributes to TEFL teacher education by demonstrating how PjBL can foster digital pedagogy development through the integration of theory, practice, technology, and reflection. Practically, the findings suggest that TEFL lecturers should provide structured guidance, feedback, and reflective activities to help pre-service teachers design pedagogically meaningful digital teaching media.
References
Belda-Medina, J. (2021). ICTs and Project-Based Learning (PBL) in EFL: Pre-service Teachers’ Attitudes and Digital Skills. International Journal of Applied Linguistics & English Literature, 10(1), 63–70. https://doi.org/10.7575/aiac.ijalel.v.10n.1p.63
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021). Thematic Analysis : A Practical Guide. SAGE.
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design Choosing among Five Approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Doyle, L., McCabe, C., Keogh, B., Brady, A., & McCann, M. (2020). An overview of the qualitative descriptive design within nursing research. Journal of Research in Nursing : JRN, 25(5), 443–455. https://doi.org/10.1177/1744987119880234
Falloon, G. (2020). From digital literacy to digital competence: the teacher digital competency (TDC) framework. Education Tech Research Dev, 68(3), 2449–2472. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-020-09767-4
Fauziah, S., & Kalisa, P. (2025). Understanding Pre-Service Teachers’ Perception in Applying Teaching Media: A TPACK-Based Study. Journal of English Language and Education, 10(4), 1077–1090. https://doi.org/10.31004/jele.v10i4.1277
Golonka, E. M., Bowles, A. R., Frank, V. M., Dorna, R. L., & Freynik, S. (2012). Technologies for foreign language learning: a review of technology types and their effectiveness. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2012.700315
Guo, P., Saab, N., Post, L. S., & Admiraal, W. (2020). A review of project-based learning in higher education: Student outcomes and measures. International Journal of Educational Research, 102(5), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2020.101586
Hamid, R. J., Rahman, M. A., Wello, M. B., & Asrifan, A. (2025). Lecturers’perception of Hybrid Learning Model In Teaching English For Business. Journal of English Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics, 7(1), 12–18. https://doi.org/doi.org/10.32996/jetal.2025.7.1.2
Hamid, R. J., Rampeng, Maing, R. A., & Asdar. (2025). Bridging Technology and Pedagogy: A Qualitative Study of Deep Learning-Based Hybrid Learning in English for Business. Jo-ELT (Journal of English Language Teaching) Fakultas Pendidikan Bahasa & Seni Prodi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris IKIP, 12(2), 394–410. https://doi.org/10.33394/jo-elt.v12i2.16014
Izadinia, M. (2012). A review of research on student teachers’ professional identity. British Educational Research Journal, 39(4), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/01411926.2012.679614
Januarty, R., Maing, R. A., Rampeng, Muhammad, A. F., & Sahib, N. (2025). Postgraduate EFL instructional models in Indonesia: aligning student perceptions with lecturer rationales. Cogent Education, 12(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2025.2590863
Kallio, H., Pietilä, A. M., Johnson, M., & Kangasniemi, M. (2016). Systematic methodological review: developing a framework for a qualitative semi-structured interview guide. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 72(12), 2954–2965. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.13031
Kim, H., Sefcik, J. S., & Bradway, C. (2016). Characteristics of Qualitative Descriptive Studies: A Systematic Review. Research in Nursing & Health, 40(1), 23–42. https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.21768
Koehler, M. J., Mishra, P., & Cain, M. W. (2013). What is Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK)? Journal of Education, 193(3), 13–19. https://doi.org/10.1177/002205741319300303
Kokotsaki, D., Menzies, V., & Wiggins, A. (2016). Project-based learning: A review of the literature. Improving Schools, 19(3), 267–277. https://doi.org/10.1177/1365480216659733
Korstjens, I., & Moser, A. (2018). Series: Practical guidance to qualitative research. Part 4: Trustworthiness and publishing. The European Journal of General Practice, 24(1), 120–124. https://doi.org/10.1080/13814788.2017.1375092
Kulaksız, T. (2023). Praxeological learning approach in the development of pre-service EFL teachers’ TPACK and online information-seeking strategies. Int J Educ Technol High Educ, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-023-00421-6
Le, T. N., Allen, B., & Johnson, N. F. (2021). Blended learning: Barriers and drawbacks for English language lecturers at Vietnamese universities. E-Learning and Digital Media, 19(2), 225–239. https://doi.org/10.1177/20427530211048235
Limbong, E., Setiawan, I., & Hamilton, A. (2024). Bridging the Gap: The Reality of Digital Technology Integration by Indonesian Pre -service EFL Teachers. Script Journal: Journal of Linguistic and English Teaching, 9(1), 58–78. https://doi.org/10.24903/sj.v9i1.1524
Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A Framework for Teacher Knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108, 1017–1054. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9620.2006.00684.x
Nowell, L. S., Norris, J. M., White, D. E., & Moules, N. J. (2017). Thematic Analysis: Striving to Meet the Trustworthiness Criteria. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406917733847
Palinkas, L. A., Horwitz, S. M., Green, C. A., Wisdom, J. P., Duan, N., Hoagwood, K., Angeles, L., & Northwest, K. P. (2015). Purposeful sampling for qualitative data collection and analysis in mixed method implementation research. Adm Policy Ment Health, 42(5), 533–544.
Pehlevan, İ., & Unal, B. (2024). Investigating the Relationship between Digital Literacy and TPACK Levels of Pre-Service English Teachers. Dil Eğitimi ve Araştırmaları Dergisi, 10(1), 87–111. https://doi.org/10.31464/jlere.1432879
Ping, C., Schellings, G., & Beijaard, D. (2018). Teacher educators’ professional learning: A literature review. Teaching and Teacher Education: An International Journal of Research and Studies, 75(1), 93–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2018.06.003
Rampeng, R., Januarty, R., Maing, R. A., & Sujariati, S. (2025). Integrating Project-Based Learning and Deep Learning Principles to Foster Speaking Fluency and Critical Thinking in EFL. Jo-ELT (Journal of English Language Teaching) Fakultas Pendidikan Bahasa & Seni Prodi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris IKIP, 12(2), 510–520. https://doi.org/10.33394/jo-elt.v12i2.17578
Shin, S., Brush, T. A., & Glazewski, K. D. (2020). Patterns of peer scaffolding in technology-enhanced inquiry classrooms: application of social network analysis. Educational Technology Research and Development, 68(5), 231–2350. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-020-09779-0
Silitonga, L. M., Suciati, S., Wiyaka, Prastikawati, E. F., & Cholifah, N. (2025). Bridging the Gap: Pre-Service Teachers’ Realities of Technology Integration in the Digital Classroom. Eternal: English Teaching Journal, 16(2), 510–519. https://doi.org/10.26877/eternal.v16i2.2363
Spante, M., Hashemi, S. S., Lundin, M., & Algers, A. (2018). Digital competence and digital literacy in higher education research: Systematic review of concept use. Cogent Education, 5(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/0.1080/2331186X.2018.1519143
Syamdianita, & Cahyono, B. Y. (2021). The EFL pre-service teachers’ experiences and challenges in designing teaching materials using TPACK framework. Studies in English Language and Education2, 8(2), 561–577. https://doi.org/10.24815/siele.v8i2.19202
Vongsawath, K., Prasitiwi, Y., & Hidayat, N. (2025). EFL Learners’ Reading Comprehension Challenges and Strategies: A Case Study of Champasack University in Laos. Journal of English Language Teaching and Linguistics, 10(1), 11–25. https://doi.org/10.21462/jeltl.v10i1.1495
Yuvita, Y., Hartono, R., Fitriati, S. W., & Saleh, M. (2025). Bridging Pedagogy and Technology: Project-Based Learning for Digital Competence in EFL Microteaching. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 15(9), 2937–2947. https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1509.15
Copyright (c) 2026 Restu Januarty Hamid; Samsidaris, Areski Wahid, Farida (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
In submitting the manuscript to the FOSTER: Journal of English Language Teaching, the authors certify that:
- They are authorized by their co-authors to enter into these arrangements.
- The work described has not been formally published before, except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture, review, thesis, or overlay journal.
- That it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere,
- The publication has been approved by the author(s) and by responsible authorities – tacitly or explicitly – of the institutes where the work has been carried out.
- They secure the right to reproduce any material that has already been published or copyrighted elsewhere.
- They agree to the following license and copyright agreement.
License and Copyright Agreement
Authors who publish with FOSTER: Journal of English Language Teaching agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the FOSTER: Journal of English Language Teaching right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors can enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the FOSTER: Journal of English Language Teaching published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or edit it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) before and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
.jpg)
.jpg)
1.jpg)
.jpg)
