From Professional Learning to Classroom Practice: Teaching Strategies of Non-Specialist English Teachers in a Vocational School Context

Abstract

The increasing reliance on non-specialist English teachers in various educational settings has raised concerns regarding instructional quality and classroom effectiveness. Professional development (PD) has been widely recognized as a key mechanism for supporting teachers who teach outside their field of expertise. This study investigates how professional development shapes the teaching strategies of non-specialist English teachers at Sekolah Indonesia Kota Kinabalu (SIKK), an Indonesian overseas school in Malaysia. Employing a descriptive qualitative approach with a narrative inquiry design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis involving non-specialist English teachers. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify patterns in teachers’ instructional practices and the influence of professional learning experiences on classroom implementation. The findings reveal that professional development, primarily through self-directed learning, peer collaboration, and participation in external workshops, contributed to the diversification and adaptation of teaching strategies. Teachers demonstrated the implementation of Project-Based Learning (PBL), differentiated instruction, Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT), role-play activities, gamification techniques, and Simple Jigsaw strategies to address students’ vocational learning needs. Professional development also encouraged teachers to integrate more student-centered approaches, contextualized learning activities, and interactive classroom practices. These instructional transformations enabled teachers to move beyond traditional textbook-oriented instruction and create more engaging learning environments. The study concludes that sustained and collaborative professional development plays a significant role in enhancing the pedagogical capacity of non-specialist English teachers and supports the effective adaptation of teaching strategies in vocational English classrooms. The findings contribute to the growing body of literature on out-of-field teaching and highlight the importance of providing continuous professional learning opportunities for non-specialist educators.