<![CDATA[Understanding students’ experiences of cognitive challenges during collaborative learning is crucial for designing effective English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instruction. While collaborative tasks are widely recognized for fostering interaction and deeper learning, limited research has explored how students interpret and respond to the cognitive demands encountered during such activities, particularly within Indonesian secondary schools. This study investigates students’ interpretations and experiences of cognitive challenges during a jigsaw-based collaborative EFL task. A qualitative descriptive approach was implemented in an eleventh-grade classroom at a public senior high school in Indonesia. Data were gathered through classroom observations and semi-structured interviews with purposively selected students, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Three major themes emerged: experiencing cognitive difficulty and confusion, employing coping strategies to address cognitive challenges, and encountering difficulty in linking and integrating information. The results indicate that cognitive challenges primarily arose during interpretation, explanation, and conceptual integration, rather than procedural participation. Students utilized various coping strategies, such as seeking clarification, passive listening, and relying on peer and teacher support. The findings also reveal differences in students’ ability to connect current tasks to prior learning, indicating varying levels of cognitive readiness. The study concludes that cognitive difficulty in collaborative EFL tasks should be regarded not only as a potential barrier but also as a productive condition that can foster deeper cognitive engagement when supported by appropriate scaffolding and collaboration. These findings contribute to the understanding of students’ cognitive experiences in collaborative EFL learning and offer pedagogical implications for designing tasks that promote meaningful learning.]]>
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