Active Learning and English Classroom Behaviour: A Qualitative Research on Standard 4 Students in Malaysia

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-579-9_7How to use a DOI?

Keywords

English active learning; classroom behaviour; Malaysian primary school

Abstract

Active learning strategies allow students to take a more active role in the classroom, but there is still limited understanding of how they behave during such activities. This study explores why active learning shapes classroom behaviour and how standard 4 students respond to different strategies in English lessons. A qualitative approach was used, combining classroom observations and semi-structured interviews in a Malaysian primary school. Two strategies were examined in detail: role-play dialogues, where students practised conversational English, and collaborative vocabulary games, which required teamwork and problem-solving. The findings show that students were more motivated and confident when activities encouraged interaction and play. However, some challenges were observed, including students getting distracted during tasks and showing reluctance to give longer responses. These insights highlight the need to design active learning activities that are both enjoyable and effective for skill development. The study offers implications for improving English education within Malaysia’s CEFR-aligned curriculum.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Muhammad Nadzrin bin Khairuddin
AU  - Nor Haniza Mohamad
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/05/21
TI  - Active Learning and English Classroom Behaviour: A Qualitative Research on Standard 4 Students in Malaysia
BT  - Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Education and Social Sciences (ICESS 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 76
EP  - 85
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-579-9_7
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-579-9_7
ID  - Khairuddin2026
ER  -