“It’s Exciting and Motivating”: Pre-Service Teachers in Teaching English to Young Learners in Kurikulum Merdeka Implementation

Abstract

Caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, rapid shifts in teaching strategies have exposed preservice teachers to novel difficulties and opportunities. Because of these shifts, pre-service teachers now face new challenges in teaching English, especially to young learners in the implementation of Kurikulum Merdeka. The purposes of this study were to explore how pre-service teachers prepared themselves in teaching English to young learners and what made them excited and motivated in teaching English to young learners at the Islamic elementary level. Joining teaching practice at the Islamic elementary level directly made pre-service teachers challenged in doing such kinds of teaching and learning processes in handling the learners in the implementation of Kurikulum Merdeka. To overcome these problems, the pre-service teachers employed such kinds of strategies by utilizing inventive pedagogical tools like the "Snake and Ladder" and "Beberan" Game Board, as well as teaching strategies like project-based learning and cooperative learning. This study suggested that future preservice teachers needed more appropriate strategies and media, especially in teaching English to young learners at the Islamic elementary level. Finally, pre-service teachers needed to find ways to get the young learners involved and working together in the classroom and they culled the best strategies and media in the teaching and learning process.