TOEFL ITP Readiness and Responses Among Vocational Engineering Students
Abstract
Students in Indonesian engineering-based vocational higher education generally have limited exposure to standardized English tests such as the TOEFL Institutional Testing Program (ITP), although scores are frequently required for graduation, scholarships, and internships. This study asks: what is vocational engineering students' initial readiness for TOEFL ITP, and how do they respond to a contextualized refreshment training? Using a descriptive qualitative case study design, data were collected through observation and informal feedback from 40 final-year Rollingstock Engineering students at Politeknik Negeri Madiun, all from one graduating cohort with heterogeneous prior English exposure, and analyzed thematically following Braun and Clarke's (2006) framework. Findings show limited initial familiarity with the test format, strong engagement during Listening, difficulty identifying structural errors, positive perceptions of contextualized Reading materials, and increased confidence after the practice simulation. The training highlights the value of ESP-based preparation for engineering vocational students, although further research with structured instruments is needed.
Keywords
References
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