<![CDATA[The development of 21st-century skills, or the 4Cs (critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication), has become an important focus in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education, and debate is often used to support this goal. Many senior high schools commonly apply the Asian Parliamentary Debate System (APDS). This study examines the challenges and needs of students and teachers in adapting this debate format for classroom use. Using an Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Design, in which quantitative data were collected and analyzed first, followed by qualitative data to explain and elaborate the quantitative findings, data were collected through surveys from 182 students and 59 English teachers using Dichotomous Scale across seven senior high schools in Aceh, Indonesia, and supported by semi-structured interviews with 10 students and 5 teachers who were randomly selected from the survey participants. Quantitative data were analyzed using percentages, while qualitative data were analyzed through (1) data condensation, (2) data display, and (3) data verification. The findings show that both students and teachers face major challenges in implementing the APDS into a classroom debate model, including low participation, limited English proficiency, unclear procedures, subjective assessment, limited time, and lack of suitable resources. These challenges reduce debate’s effectiveness in achieving its learning goals. Both groups also expressed the need for a more structured, inclusive, and classroom-friendly debate model, supported by clear guidelines, fair assessment, and language support.]]>
Copyrights © 2026
