Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies

Aims: The study investigated the effectiveness of presentations as a pedagogical strategy to enhance students’ English-speaking skills in a Bhutanese higher secondary school.

Study Design:  Guided by Kurt Lewin’s cyclical action research model of planning, observing, and reflecting, the study adopted a one-group pre-test-post-test quasi-experimental design over nine weeks.

Place and Duration of Study: Participants included eleventh-grade students (N = 26; 13 male and 13 female), aged 16-18, selected through convenience sampling. The participants were selected using a convenience sampling technique, which involves choosing a sample that is easily accessible to the researcher. This approach was practical because, as their English language teacher, I had regular and direct access to the students, facilitating the implementation and monitoring of the intervention over time.

Methodology: Data were collected using a mixed-method approach: (a) quantitative assessment of students` presentations across five rounds (baseline and four intervention cycles) using a nine-criteria rubric (fluency, pronunciation, grammar accuracy, vocabulary, organization, message clarity, confidence, audience engagement, and audibility), and (b) qualitative reflections from open-ended surveys analysed through word cloud visualization.

Results: Quantitative results showed significant improvement in students’ performance, with mean scores increasing from 27.8 at baseline to 34.6 in the final round, confirmed by a paired-samples t-test, t(25) = -19.84, p < 0.001. Students demonstrated steady progress in fluency, pronunciation, confidence, and audience engagement, through gains varied across individuals. Qualitative findings revealed that students perceived classroom presentations as effective for improving speaking skills, building confidence, organizing ideas, and reducing hesitation, while valuing teacher feedback as essential for targeted improvement. The iterative cycle of presentation, feedback, and re-presentation, emerged as central to skill development.

Conclusion: Overall, the study highlights the transformative potential of classroom presentations in fostering both linguistic and paralinguistic competence. It recommends incorporating structured presentation tasks and standardized speaking assessments into Bhutanese English curricula to promote sustained language growth. Additionally, teacher-training programs could emphasize strategies for facilitating effective student presentations and providing constructive-feedback, equipping educators with the skills to foster fluency, confidence, and communicative competence.