The Effects of Using Active Learning: Role Play Activities to Enhance English Speaking Skills of 5th Grade Students

Article Sidebar

PDF
Published: Jul 24, 2026
Keywords:
Active learning Role-playing activities English speaking skills Primary students

Main Article Content

Fairus Tohkeh
Faculty of Education, Silpakorn University, Thailand
Suneeta Kositchaivat
Faculty of Education, Silpakorn University, Thailand
Kanoknate Worawong
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Nakhon Pathom Rajabhat University, Thailand

Abstract

This research article aimed to 1) compare the English speaking skills of Grade 5 students before and after receiving active learning instruction through role-playing activities, and (2) investigate students' satisfaction with the instructional approach. This study employed a quasi-experimental research design using a one-group pretest–posttest design. The sample consisted of 12 Grade 5 students from a primary school in Pattani Province during the first semester of the 2025 academic year (B.E. 2568), selected through cluster sampling. The experiment was conducted over a period of six weeks. The research instruments included lesson plans based on active learning through role-playing activities, an English speaking skills test, an English speaking skills assessment rubric, and a student satisfaction questionnaire. Data were analyzed using the mean, standard deviation, and the dependent samples t-test. The results revealed that: 1) the students' English speaking skills after the intervention (X̄ = 31.25, S.D. = 3.24) were significantly higher than those before the intervention (X̄ = 20.67, S.D. = 2.23) (t = −15.43, p < .001); and 2) the students' overall satisfaction with the active learning instruction through role-playing activities was at the highest level (X̄ = 4.54, S.D. = 0.59). The instructional approach enhanced students' interest, confidence in speaking English, and active participation in classroom learning.

Article Details

How to Cite
Tohkeh, F., Kositchaivat, S., & Worawong, K. (2026). The Effects of Using Active Learning: Role Play Activities to Enhance English Speaking Skills of 5th Grade Students. SSRU Journal of Public Administration, 9(2), 169–184. retrieved from https://so04.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/SSRUJPD/article/view/290362
Issue
Vol. 9 No. 2 (2026): May-August
Section
Research Article
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

References

นุชนาถ เพิ่มมณี, และปริญญาภัสร์ สีทอง. (2565). การพัฒนาหลักสูตรเพื่อส่งเสริมความสามารถด้านการพูดภาษาอังกฤษเพื่อการสื่อสารโดยใช้กิจกรรมบทบาทสมมติสำหรับนักเรียนชั้นประถมศึกษาปีที่ 5. วารสารวิชาการ มจร บุรีรัมย์, 7(2), 80–93.

มานิตา สิทธิไพร, และยาใจ พงษ์บริบูรณ์. (2564). การพัฒนาทักษะการพูดภาษาอังกฤษ เรื่อง We are Friends โดยใช้กิจกรรมบทบาทสมมติของนักเรียนชั้นประถมศึกษาปีที่ 6. วารสาร มจร อุบลปริทรรศน์, 6(3), 81–92.

สถาบันทดสอบทางการศึกษาแห่งชาติ. (2567). รายงานผลการทดสอบทางการศึกษาระดับชาติขั้นพื้นฐาน (O-NET) ปีการศึกษา 2566.

Ahmed, S., & Zafar, S. (2023). Role play and its impact on developing speaking skills in EFL classrooms. International Journal of Language Education, 7(1), 45–60.

Bonwell, C. C., & Eison, J. A. (1991). Active learning: Creating excitement in the classroom. ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report No. 1. George Washington University, School of Education and Human Development.

Brown, H. D. (2007). Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language pedagogy (3rd ed.). Pearson Education.

Bygate, M. (1987). Speaking. Oxford University Press.

Canale, M., & Swain, M. (1980). Theoretical bases of communicative approaches to second language teaching and testing. Applied Linguistics, 1(1), 1–47.

Cenoz, J. (2013). Defining multilingualism. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 33, 3–18.

EF Education First. (2024). EF English proficiency index.

Goh, C. C. M., & Burns, A. (2012). Teaching speaking: A holistic approach. Cambridge University Press.

Harmer, J. (2018). How to teach English (2nd ed.). Pearson Education.

Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M. B., & Cope, J. (1986). Foreign language classroom anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 70(2), 125–132.

Jarvis, S., & Pavlenko, A. (2008). Crosslinguistic influence in language and cognition. Routledge.

Jenkins, J. (2015). Global Englishes: A resource book for students (3rd ed.). Routledge.

Ladousse, G. P. (1987). Role play. Oxford University Press.

Larsen-Freeman, D., & Anderson, M. (2011). Techniques and principles in language teaching (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press.

Liu, J., & Lertlit, S. (2020). The use of role plays to enhance English speaking skills of grade 7 Chinese students. In Proceedings of the 5th RSU International Research Conference on Science and Technology, Social Science, and Humanities 2020 (pp. 1151–1157). Rangsit University.

Livingstone, C. (1983). Role play in language learning. Longman.

Long, M. H. (1996). The role of the linguistic environment in second language acquisition. In W. C. Ritchie & T. K. Bhatia (Eds.), Handbook of second language acquisition (pp. 413–468). Academic Press.

Nation, I. S. P., & Newton, J. (2009). Teaching ESL/EFL listening and speaking. Routledge.

Noom-ura, S. (2013). English-teaching problems in Thailand and Thai teachers’ professional development needs. English Language Teaching, 6(11), 139–147.

Prince, M. (2004). Does active learning work? A review of the research. Journal of Engineering Education, 93(3), 223–231.

Rakha, A. H. (2025). Promoting online teaching through active learning strategies: Applications and innovations. Frontiers in Education, 10, Article 1546208.

Richards, J. C. (2006). Communicative language teaching today. Cambridge University Press.

Richards, J. C. (2022). Teaching and learning in second language teacher education. Cambridge University Press.

Sari, N., & Putri, M. (2023). Reducing speaking anxiety through role play activities in EFL classroom. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 14(2), 312–320.

Seidlhofer, B. (2011). Understanding English as a lingua franca. Oxford University Press.

Swain, M. (1985). Communicative competence: Some roles of comprehensible input and comprehensible output in its development. In S. M. Gass & C. G. Madden (Eds.), Input in second language acquisition (pp. 235–253). Newbury House.

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.

Widdowson, H. G. (1978). Teaching language as communication. Oxford University Press.