IMPROVING STUDENTS’ SPEAKING PERFORMANCE THROUGH THINK-PAIR-SHARE: EVIDENCE FROM A CLASSROOM-BASED RESEARCH

Abstract

This article reports a classroom-based study on improving eighth-grade students’ English speaking performance through the Think-Pair-Share (TPS) strategy at SMP Negeri 7 Kupang, Indonesia. The study aimed to examine the extent to which TPS enhances students’ speaking fluency, accuracy, and confidence, and to explain how the strategy promotes students’ engagement in speaking activities. Employing a mixed-methods explanatory sequential design, the research involved pre-test and post-test speaking assessments, classroom observations, and semi-structured interviews with students. Quantitative findings revealed a notable improvement in students’ overall speaking performance after the implementation of TPS, with gains observed across fluency, accuracy, and confidence dimensions. Qualitative data further indicated increased student participation, reduced speaking anxiety, and more supportive peer interaction during speaking tasks. These findings demonstrate that TPS creates a collaborative and joyful learning environment that facilitates mental readiness, peer support, and active oral practice. The study contributes to EFL pedagogy by providing empirical evidence from an under-researched junior high school context in Eastern Indonesia and by illustrating how TPS aligns with the student-centred and collaborative principles of Kurikulum Merdeka. Therefore, TPS is recommended as an effective instructional strategy for enhancing speaking skills in EFL classrooms.