The Implementation of Student Team-Achievement Divisions Techniques in Interactive Speaking Learning at Private Vocational School in Pekalongan City

Vocational school students often struggle to actively engage in English-speaking activities due to limited exposure and low motivation, resulting in weak communicative competence. Although cooperative learning has been shown to foster participation, little research has examined its application in vocational contexts, particularly among technical students. This study looks into how the Cooperative Learning method, implemented through the Student Teams-Achievement Divisions (STAD) technique, can increase students' motivation to learn interactive speaking skills among Grade X students in the Computer Network Engineering program at SMK Syafi'i Akrom Pekalongan. This quasi-experimental study included a pre-test and post-test design, with an experimental class taught using the STAD methodology and a control class taught using traditional techniques. To investigate students' participation and reactions during the program, quantitative data were acquired using motivation surveys and speaking performance evaluations, while qualitative data were gained via observations, interviews, and teacher reflection diaries. The study found that the implementation of the Student Teams Achievement Division (STAD) technique significantly improved students’ motivation, participation, and speaking performance compared to conventional teaching. Students in the experimental group showed greater enthusiasm, confidence, and collaboration during speaking activities, as evidenced by observation checklists, interviews, and posttest results. The result demonstrated that the effectiveness of the Student Teams Achievement Division (STAD) technique in enhancing students’ speaking performance. The mean score increased from M = 4.08 in the pretest to M = 5.35 in the posttest. In contrast, the control group displayed no improvement. This indicates. Keywords: STAD, Students Motivation, Speaking Skills, Vocational High School