La Ode Ilan, Ashadi Ashadi, John Rey Osben Pelila, Rezkilaturahmi Rezkilaturahmi, Suci Febriyani, Yeni Savitri, Rahmatiya Husain, S. Saraswati
Background/purpose. Despite growing evidence that Project-Based Learning (PjBL) fosters students' Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) skills, the perspectives of those who design and deliver these experiences — teachers —are largely absent from the conversation. Existing studies overwhelmingly focus on students' outcomes, leaving a critical gap in understanding how in-service English teachers perceive and enact PjBL to enhance SRL skills in real classroom contexts. Therefore, this study aimed to explore in-service English teachers' perspectives on PjBL as an approach to support the activation of students' SRL skills. Materials/Methods. A case study was employed to deeply examine that phenomenon. Data were gathered through structured interviews with two teachers selected for their experience with PjBL and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results. The results showed that teachers viewed PjBL as effective in enhancing students' SRL skills by fostering motivation, metacognition, self-efficacy, and behavior. They implemented strategies such as checklists, peer collaboration, and specific project planning to support student autonomy. However, challenges arose due to differences in students' abilities, interpersonal conflicts, and absenteeism, prompting teachers to use mixed-ability grouping and quality control to ensure equitable learning outcomes. Conclusion. This research contributes to the practice of English Language Teaching (ELT) by providing insights into how instructional practice is grounded in PjBL, thereby activating SRL skills in diverse linguistic classrooms. It is recommended that continuous professional development be provided to help teachers, curriculum designers, and classroom practitioners to integrate SRL-oriented practices into ELT classrooms through PjBL. © The Author(s), 2025.
Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Indonesia
