Sebuah Kajian Pustaka: ELTIN JOURNAL: p-ISSN 2339-1561 Journal of English Language Teaching in Indonesia e–ISSN 2580-7684 88 JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ EXPERIENCES IN GOOGLE CLASSROOM TO PROMOTE AUTONOMY IN ONLINE ENGLISH LEARNING Aulia Putri Yulistia1*, Wiwiet Eva Savitri2 1aulya.18010@mhs.unesa.ac.id, 2wiwieteva@unesa.ac.id UNIVERSITAS NEGERI SURABAYA ABSTRACT Online learning in Education has been increasingly implemented since the pandemic happened. Junior high schools use Google Classroom because it is the potential to enhance the teaching-learning activities, and the students also inevitably have to use it for learning, specifically English subjects. Previous studies claimed that Google Classroom is a useful online learning platform for students and teachers. Learning English online using Google Classroom for reading, writing, and grammar skills is possible. However, the previous studies mainly focused on upper secondary school students and teachers. Hence, this study aims to explore junior high school students’ experiences and learning autonomy in learning English online through Google Classroom during the new regulation of limited face-to- face classes. This study used a qualitative methodology and collected the data through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The findings indicated that 7th-grade students with a total of 82 students have positive as well as unpleasant experiences when learning English using Google Classroom. Furthermore, the findings also indicated that junior high school students as reactive autonomous learners could enhance their English learning autonomy when using Google Classroom. Keywords: Autonomous learners, Google Classroom, learning autonomy, online English learning. A. INTRODUCTION Online learning has been well-spread these days, as well as technology in Education. Technology has played a significant part in enhancing the current education system at all stages of learning, whether in school, college, or university (Gupta & Pathania, 2021). How we educate in the classroom has been quickly changing and evolving due to technological advancements (Kumar & Bervell, 2019). Since the pandemic, online learning in Education, specifically in Indonesia, has increasingly been used for teaching and learning activities. Regarding Task Force Circular Letter No. 4 of 2020, published by the Minister of Education and Culture, it decided to adopt a study from home or E-learning to complete all curriculum achievements (Ambarwati & Mandasari, 2021). Online learning or E-learning is a way to do the teaching-learning process where use technology as the media of instruction. Students can learn the subjects everywhere and every time, depending on Yulistia & Savitri: Junior High School Students’ Experiences … 89 their willingness to study (Bhat et al., 2018). Although not all schools and teachers utilize technology, they need to utilize online learning platforms for teaching and learning activities, such as WhatsApp groups, Moodle, Google Classroom, Zoom Meetings, Google Meet, and so forth. Google Classroom is one of the most popular learning platforms used for online learning at every level of Education. Sinaga & Pustika (2021) insisted that Ruang Guru, Kahoot!, Google Classroom, and Learning Management Systems (LMS) such as Moodle and Socrative are the most popular digital education tools in online learning. A study held by Mualim et al. (2019) explained that Google Classroom is a free web-basic learning tool added by Google in 2014; it makes it easy to educate by generating the content, disseminating them, and evaluating outcomes. Google Classroom further has three features: Classwork for posting the materials and assignments; Grading for giving the students feedback and scores; Stream for communicating with the students (Melani, 2020). Google Classroom is a way to give students more space outside the classroom to gain autonomy (Mualim et al., 2019). Teachers could create a Google classroom for all students in a given issue, include more teachers in the same area, and help students obtain more ideas and online maintenance resources from multiple teachers in the same subject (Bhat et al., 2018). Students have several experiences when using Google Classroom for teaching and learning activities. Heggart and Yoo stated that students understood how all the materials available for this course were easily accessible via Google Classroom (Heggart & Yoo, 2018). Furthermore, Mualim et al. claimed that learners get several positive experiences when using Google Classroom. First, learners can submit their assignments on due date even though many of them still offer it at the end of given time, and it makes the students have responsibility of submitting the assignments in given time. Second, learners can access Google Classroom every time and everywhere. Learners can quickly learn and access Google Classroom since it depends on their mood and leisure time. Next, students can manage their to-do list based on the due date given, so they do not have to do it simultaneously. Four, the students can enhance their learning autonomy since they can know their own needs and fulfill them in their ways (Mualim et al., 2019). Nevertheless, the essential thing students need to enhance when learning through online platforms during the new regulation of limited face-to-face classes is learning autonomy. One of the most significant goals in the learning process is autonomy (Huda et al., 2019). During the covid-19 pandemic, autonomy in learning is particularly important in the teaching and learning process (Banat & Martiani, 2020). Students' affective learning abilities, including the capacity to learn autonomously, are required for optimal learning throughout covid-19 outbreak (Syelitiar & Putra, 2021). Education cannot exist without autonomy; consequently, learner autonomy is a vital ability for students these days (Iryani et al., 2020; Suphandee et al., 2018). Learning autonomy requires a high level of responsibility on the part of the teaching participants, who must engage in a variety of activities to fulfill learning objectives (Ashadi & Suhaeb, 2020). Further, Suphandee et al (2018) insisted that learner autonomy empowers students to take responsibility for their own learning and to assess their own progress. When learners have learner autonomy, they enjoy studying without being forced. It also fosters insatiable curiosity, which leads to lifelong learners, a goal that today's educators anticipate and aspire to achieve for all students (Suphandee et al., 2018). ELTIN Journal: Journal of English Language Teaching in Indonesia, Volume 10/No 2, October 2022 90 Learning autonomy is a learning method in which students take the initiative, are motivated, and accept responsibility for their learning. Autonomy is defined as the ability to direct, manage, or control one's own learning (Benson, 2007). Holec (1981) defined learning autonomy as learner control. In other words, learner autonomy assists students in taking responsibility for their learning. Further, Dickinson (1987) explained that learning autonomy is when the student is entirely responsible for his learning decisions and implementation. In other words, learning autonomy is a self-awareness to learn without relying on others and feeling responsibility for achieving desired outcomes (Hamka & Vilmala, 2019). Students can be called autonomous learners when they can fulfill several aspects or features of learning autonomy. Self-esteem, discipline, initiative, responsibility, and motivation indicate learning autonomy (Banat & Martiani, 2020). Furthermore, Littlewood (1996) claimed that there are two primary components of learning autonomy: ability and willingness. Ability relies on understanding the options from which decisions must be taken and the expertise required to make whatever choices sound most suitable. Willingness relies on having the drive and courage to take responsibility for the necessary decisions. Littlewood (1999) cited by Adianingrum (2017) further distinguished two types of learner autonomy: proactive autonomy and reactive autonomy. Learners with proactive autonomy might plan, monitor, and access their learning. Learners set their learning agenda and learning direction in this way. Meanwhile, reactive autonomy occurred when learners did not design their path but, once launched, allowed them to manage their resources independently to achieve their goal. For example, if a job was assigned, the learner would eagerly do it and might volunteer to join a group to deal with it. Furthermore, Benson (2013) defined three levels of regulating learners' autonomy: learning management control, cognitive process control, and learning context control. Learning management control is when students use a variety of tactics to help them learn. The tactics are classified as metacognitive, cognitive, or socio-affective. Following that, cognitive process control is where students regulate their psychology during the learning process. Three more elements impact control: reflection, attention, and metacognitive knowledge. Furthermore, learning context control is where students have the option to choose learning objectives and apply what they have learned to the language of communication and engagement. As students, they still have responsibilities to do learning activities from home. Autonomy allows students to become self-aware and increase language learning effectiveness (Orawiwatnakul & Wichadee, 2017). They have to initiate and motivate themselves to do learning activities, especially when learning English. Students must find their motivation to read, learn, understand the materials given, and collect the assignments in Google Classroom. However, during learning online in the limited face-to-face class, students need to enhance their learning autonomy. Dalilan (2021) claimed that learning autonomy in the online delivery method refers to student-centered autonomous learning that is mediated through the internet. To operate learning plans and processes, students must deliberately govern their learning awareness, motivation, and accountability without being supervised and monitored by lecturers or professors. She further stated that students are not all self- directed learners. They can, however, become self-sufficient by becoming used to their learning authority. Thus, students should regard learning autonomy as a beneficial learning Yulistia & Savitri: Junior High School Students’ Experiences … 91 habit. It can increase learners' self-esteem and motivation while also enhancing their understanding of their limitations and ability to deal with them (Dalilan, 2021). It will be hard for Junior High School students to learn by themselves, especially in English subjects. Nartiningrum and Nugroho (2021) explained that learning English is required in Indonesian schools beginning in junior high school. English is a subject that is considered challenging to learn, especially for junior high school students, because it is the first time they get an English lesson. They still need teachers directly to teach and help them learn English. Therefore, not all students can discover their motivations and fulfill their responsibilities while learning English online. Some students are fine and doing well enough during the online learning activities. In contrast, some students find issues and concerns during the online learning activities. They cannot engage well with both subjects and teachers themselves, feel enthusiasm during the online learning process, and are good enough to hone their learning autonomy (Nartiningrum & Nugroho, 2021). Many researchers have focused on learning online through Google Classroom (Bhat et al., 2018; Gupta & Pathania, 2021; Heggart & Yoo, 2018). The researchers claimed that Google Classroom is a useful online learning platform for students and teachers (Gupta & Pathania, 2021; Heggart & Yoo, 2018). They further explained that both students and teachers like the features of Google Classroom since it is easy to use, helps them engage during learning activities, can make the students do the task every time and everywhere, and can improve teachers’ ideas to improve their learning practices: accessibility, application effectiveness for collaboration, and student voice/agency (Gupta & Pathania, 2021; Heggart & Yoo, 2018). Further, Bhat et al. claimed that Google Classroom is better than the manual one since it does not have handwriting or deadline difficulties. However, there is some concern about the originality of the students’ work, which may be resolved by using a plagiarism detection system (Bhat et al., 2018). In line with learning through Google Classroom, other researchers also have focused on learning English online through Google Classroom (Aini, 2019; Albashtawi & Al Bataineh, 2020; Ambarwati & Mandasari, 2021; Khalil, 2018). The researchers insisted that it is possible to learn English online using Google Classroom for reading, writing, and grammar skills (Aini, 2019; Albashtawi & Al Bataineh, 2020; Khalil, 2018). They further explained that the instructor could uniquely create and develop the English class (Aini, 2019). In terms of reading and writing skills, the students get beneficial impacts because of the effective execution of the Google Classroom intervention, the duration of the intervention program—12 weeks, and the simplicity of the Google Classroom features (Albashtawi & Al Bataineh, 2020). Further, in grammar terms (Khalil, 2018), 50% of the students were primarily in favor of the positive impacts of utilizing Google applications in grammar study. Such programs provide features that allow the instructor to provide corrective feedback that shines a light on students’ flaws and gives choices for growth (Khalil, 2018). Hence, we know that students are very motivated by Google Classroom English. They want to learn English by accomplishing the teacher’s tasks and wishing to grasp the teacher’s English content. To sum up, students must learn and practice in their daily lives to master English (Ambarwati & Mandasari, 2021). Likewise, researchers focused on students’ learning autonomy when using Google Classroom (Banat & Martiani, 2020; Damayanti et al., 2022). Furtehrmore, Hamka & Vilmala, 2019) claimed that the efficacy of learning tools for blended learning via the ELTIN Journal: Journal of English Language Teaching in Indonesia, Volume 10/No 2, October 2022 92 Google Classroom application is good for autonomous study, according to responses. It is demonstrated by the fact that the majority of respondents agreed on the questionnaire item learning independence (Hamka & Vilmala, 2019). Banat & Martiani also claimed that during the Covid-19 pandemic, the average level of student learning independence using Google Classroom media via Hybrid Learning in learning the educational profession is very strong at the average value of indicators: self-confidence (81.82), discipline (83.5), initiative (81.44), Responsibility (85.94), and Motivation (85.25) (Banat & Martiani, 2020). Damayanti et al. further insisted that the utilization of Google Classroom has a 66.8 percent effect on student learning autonomy, with the remaining 33.2 percent influenced by unknown variables such as learning styles and learning motivation (Damayanti et al., 2022). However, these previous studies mainly focused on high school and higher education levels regarding the implementation of Google Classroom (Aini, 2019; Albashtawi & Al Bataineh, 2020; Ambarwati & Mandasari, 2021; Bhat et al., 2018; Gupta & Pathania, 2021; Heggart & Yoo, 2018; Khalil, 2018) and students’ learning autonomy when using Google Classroom (Banat & Martiani, 2020; Damayanti et al., 2022; Hamka & Vilmala, 2019). Hence, this research aims to discuss junior high school students’ experiences and learning autonomy in learning English online through Google Classroom during the new regulation of limited face-to-face classes. Therefore, this research is intended to investigate the junior high school students’ experiences in using Google Classroom for learning English and to find out kind of autonomy do the students perform in using Google Classroom for learning English. B. METHOD The study used a qualitative approach since the study aims to explore junior high school students’ experiences and learning autonomy in learning English online through Google Classroom during the limited face-to-face class. The study involved Junior High School students in grade 7th at one junior high school in Sidoarjo, East Java, Indonesia who used Google Classroom as the learning medium during the limited face-to-face class. The researcher involved four classes with a total of 141 students. Out of 141 students, only 82 students agreed to complete the questionnaire, and 14 students agreed to conduct interviews (through the consent form given by Google Form). The researcher chose the participants because they learned English by using Google Classroom, and they were still new in using Google Classroom for teaching-learning activities. The study used questionnaires and semi-structured interviews as the data instruments. Questionnaires and semi-structured interview itself were used to response all research questions: students’ learning experiences and students’ English learning autonomy through Google Classroom. The instruments used Bahasa to avoid misunderstanding the questions. The questionnaires were adapted and adopted from (Mulya & Aimah, 2020; Qalbu, 2021) since the researchers used reputable questionnaires, and the items itself had similar points with this study. The questionnaire was created using Google Form. The researcher used a Likert type 5-point scale (strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, and strongly disagree) for the questionnaires. The questionnaires, in addition, consisted of 31 statements (16 statements related to students’ experiences when using Google Classroom; 15 statements related to students’ learning autonomy), and consisted of a consent form for undertaking the interviews. The consent form itself was used as agreement between the interviewees Yulistia & Savitri: Junior High School Students’ Experiences … 93 and interviewer to conduct interviews. The researcher sent the questionnaire’s link via WhatsApp group, and the participants had to collect the questionnaire in one week. Moreover, for getting deeper information, the researcher interviewed the interviewees. Out of the 29 participants who agreed to be interviewed through the consent form in Google Form, only 14 participants were successfully interviewed by the researcher. This was because many participants did not respond to the chat that the researcher sent to them. The interview used a semi-structured interview which consisted of ten close-ended questions. The interview was conducted to get deeper information about the students’ questionnaire answers regarding their experiences when using Google Classroom and learning autonomy. The collected data from questionnaires and interviews were organized, analyzed, coded, and interpreted. First was questionnaires data. The researcher organized the data for each class—A until D in form of table. After that, the researcher analyzed the data through Microsoft Excel. The remain data were coded into the same initials and colors. The second data, furthermore, was interview data. The researcher first transcribed the interview data. Next, the data were organized and coded into same initials and colors. After that, the researcher analyzed both data to get the exact information. Last, the researcher interpreted the data in detail in explanation and description form regarding students’ learning experiences and autonomy in online English learning through Google Classroom. C. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 1. Students’ Experiences when learning through Google Classroom This section used to answer the first research question regarding students’ experiences when learning through Google Classroom. the data was gained from the questionnaire and interviews. The results of questionnaire data recognized students’ experiences when utilizing Google Classroom as an online learning platform. It can be seen in the Table. 1. Table 1. Students’ experiences when learning through Google Classroom No. Students’ Experiences Percentage Agree Neutral Disagree 1. Students can access Google Classroom easily 73% 33% 5% 2. Students can understand how to use Google Classroom 73% 23% 4% 3. Students can access the learning materials very easy compared to other applications 65% 28% 7% 4. Students can get information and materials more easily and flexibly 68% 19% 13% 5. Students can collect assignments more easily and flexibly 71% 23% 6% 6. Students can complete assignments on time 50% 38% 12% 7. Students can be easier to understand the learning materials 40% 38% 22% 8. Students are having fun when using Google Classroom for discussion 25% 37% 38% 9. Students get feedback from teachers more quickly through Google Classroom 52% 35% 13% ELTIN Journal: Journal of English Language Teaching in Indonesia, Volume 10/No 2, October 2022 94 The table above shows that almost all the students—73% of students agreed that they could easily access and understand how to use Google Classroom. The students, furthermore, experienced that Google Classroom could ease them regarding online teaching-learning activities. Students experienced the easiness of Google Classroom’s features regarding given learning materials and assignments. In addition, the data also showed that most students felt that Google Classroom’s features helped them access the learning materials during learning online. Table 1 shows that 65% of students agreed that they could easily access the learning materials. Furthermore, the interview data explained more about their answers to the questionnaire. Students stated that they could access the learning materials shared by the teacher in Google Classroom. The teacher shared the learning materials interestingly, such as videos, photos, or pdf in Google Classroom, and students could open it repeatedly every time and everywhere. As a result, they could study and learn the material by themselves every time, and they would not feel left behind when they did not know the learning materials. A respondent stated: "Teacher shared such interesting learning materials when learning through Google Classroom,” and “If in Google Classroom, videos, pictures, or pdf was sent by the teacher, so we could open it anytime and anywhere. So, if we could not go to school, we would not miss the learning materials." In addition, regarding the learning materials understanding, most students claimed that Google Classroom could help them understand the learning materials. Table 1 shows that 40% agreed that they could easily understand the learning materials given by the teacher through Google Classroom. Furthermore, during the interview session, another student stated: "It was a bit difficult for me to learn English. But I could master English little by little when using GC”. Another interviewee stated, “It was easy to summarize all the material given since I could open it repeatedly. Even though I did not understand some of the materials, I could partially understand the material given”. Moreover, other interviewees explained that “Before using google classroom, I did not understand the meaning of the word for word in English, but after using google classroom, I started to understand some English words, for example: about hobbies, place names. I could be more relaxed when learning English using Google Classroom”, and “Before using Google Classroom, I always looked for the meaning of the material on the internet, websites, and others. However, after using Google Classroom, it became better because I did not have to search on the internet anymore”. In contrast, table 1 shows that 22% of students felt that they had difficulty understanding learning materials. During the interview session, four interviewees stated that “Before using Google Classroom, the teacher explained so that I understood more about the material being explained. However, I did not understand after using Google Classroom because the teacher only gave material without explaining it in detail”. They claimed that they understood the teacher’s explanation more than learning the materials themselves. Using Google Classroom as a platform for learning English was not efficient since it did not help them enhance their English knowledge. They still needed the teacher’s existence to explain the material. Yulistia & Savitri: Junior High School Students’ Experiences … 95 Regarding the assignments and collecting the assignments, table 1 shows that 71% of students collected the assignments quickly and flexibly, and 50% of students could complete the assignments on time. Students further explained their reason in the interview session. Most interviewees stated that they experienced the easiness of knowing and collecting the assignments given. They utilized Google Classroom’s feature—to-do-list— so that they would know whether the assignments were done or not. It can be seen in the following excerpt: “Before using Google Classroom, I was sometimes confused about which tasks had not been done. After using Google Classroom, I would not be confused anymore because I could see which assignments had been completed and which ones had not”. In line with it, other interviewees claimed that they collected the assignments faster before the given date when using Google Classroom. They stated: “Before using Google Classroom for lessons, I procrastinated more for doing the assignments, so I was getting lazy. However, when I used Google Classroom, I felt more anxious or uncomfortable about procrastinating assignments. Hence, I often thought about doing assignments as quickly as possible so that I could play longer”. However, although students had several advantageous experiences in utilizing Google Classroom as an online learning platform, they experienced unpleasant experiences when using Google Classroom. Junior high school students had an unpleasant experience regarding the online discussion. Students felt that they did not have a well online discussion through Google Classroom. See table 1. The table shows that 38% of students disagreed that they felt fun when having an online discussion through Google Classroom, and 37% of students neutrally agreed that they felt fun when having online discussions. Students further insisted that they had other ways to discuss with their friends during the interview session. Most interviewees explained that they preferred to have a direct or offline discussion. Eight interviewees stated: “I prefer direct discussion. I usually discussed in person at school or went to a friend’s house to discuss assignments since it was easier for me to explain to my friends and discuss together”. The data show that the students met at school or friends’ houses to discuss, explain, and do the assignment together. They argued that a face-to-face discussion is more straightforward than an online discussion. In line with it, several students further chose to have an online discussion and both—online and face-to-face—discussions. Students who chose online discussion had a group discussion through online platforms such as WhatsApp group or call or Zoom Meeting. Three interviewees further stated: “We usually divided tasks so that they can be completed quickly through WhatsApp groups, WhatsApp Call, or use Zoom meeting.” Meanwhile, the remaining students chose to discuss online and offline to suit the current situation. So, if they were learning online, they would discuss via WhatsApp or Zoom ELTIN Journal: Journal of English Language Teaching in Indonesia, Volume 10/No 2, October 2022 96 Meeting. And, if they were learning offline, they would discuss it at school. Two interviewees stated: “If it were face-to-face like now, I would meet my friends. If it was online, via an online application such as WhatsApp”. Hence, it can be concluded that they do not choose Google Classroom as a platform to have a discussion. 2. Students’ Learning Autonomy in Online English Learning through Google Classroom This section covers students’ learning autonomy when learning English through Google Classroom. The data was gained from the questionnaire and interviews. The questionnaire data about students’ autonomy when learning English through Google Classroom can be seen in Table 2. Table 2. Students’ learning autonomy when learning English through Google Classroom No. Students’ Learning Autonomy Percentage Agree Neutral Disagree 1. Students plan their own learning activities 54% 40% 6% 2. Students do English assignments on their own 59% 34% 7% 3. Students try to complete all English assignments given by the teacher 78% 18% 4% 4. Students continue to study English that they do not understand until they understand it 70% 25% 5% 5. Students do not give up when there are difficult English questions 63% 27% 10% 6. Students can collect English assignments on time 29% 51% 10% 7. Students believe in their own answers even though it is different from their friends’ answers 63% 32% 5% 8. Students do not procrastinate doing the assignments 44% 53% 3% 9. Students immediately do the English assignments 35% 48% 17% The table 2 shows that 54% of students planned their learning activities. 59% of students further agreed that they did their English assignments independently. Moreover, students claimed that Google Classroom helped them enhance their responsibility when learning English independently. 78% of students agreed that they tried to complete the given assignments independently. However, 51% of students neutrally chose to complete the assignments on time, and 53% of students neutrally chose not to procrastinate doing the assignments. Furthermore, regarding students’ autonomy in learning English, the interview data showed that ten out of fourteen interviewees agreed that Google Classroom could enhance their English learning autonomy. Furthermore, regarding students’ autonomy in learning English, the interview data showed that ten out of fourteen interviewees agreed that Google Classroom could enhance their English learning autonomy. They further stated: Yulistia & Savitri: Junior High School Students’ Experiences … 97 “So far, online learning has been fun. That was why I always did my English assignments independently. I could open Google Classroom repeatedly to check assignments since it was different from WhatsApp. Google Classroom had a notification sound, so there was no need to go back and forth between Google Classroom. So, I felt like I had to be independent or really could not depend on waiting for assignments”. However, several students mentioned that Google Classroom is not efficient for learning English online since they felt hard to understand the material. Two interviewees stated: “I do not agree, I did not understand the materials because there was no explanation from the teacher, so I had to look it up on the web”. The interview data insisted that lack of explanation from the teacher could make students hard to understand the materials. In line with students’ perception of Google Classroom for enhancing their learning autonomy, almost all interviewees agreed that they understood more when listening to the teacher’s explanation rather than studying the materials by themselves. Nine interviewees stated: “I understood the teacher’s explanation better because I did not understand anything when I studied alone.” The students, additionally, experienced that Google Classroom could help them enhance their English knowledge. Out of fourteen interviewees, only three interviewees answered neutrally. They stated that “Neutral because it followed English as the language of instruction.” In contrast, most interviewees answered that Google Classroom could help them enhance their English knowledge. They further stated: “Yes, because I found it difficult to understand English lessons. However, since using Google Classroom, I now understand English even though it is still a bit difficult to learn English”. The interviewees, however, insisted that they had obstacles when learning English by themselves. The interviewees still had difficulty in several aspects when learning English independently based on the interview data. Related to the material understanding, two interviewees stated, “When studying alone, the difficulty when doing the assignments was not understanding the material.” Further, four interviewees explained that they had difficulty understanding English. They stated, “When studying alone, it took a long time to memorize the materials, and when doing assignments, sometimes I had the wrong wording and misinterpreted the word.” Table 3. Students’ ways to overcome their obstacles when learning English independently Students’ Solutions Percentage Ask teacher 55% Ask private tutor 34% Ask friends 72% Ask family members 47% Look for relevant sources on the internet 75% ELTIN Journal: Journal of English Language Teaching in Indonesia, Volume 10/No 2, October 2022 98 As a result, students still needed help from others when learning English online through Google Classroom. See Table 3. Table 3 shows that 75% of students looked for relevant sources. Further, 72% of students chose to ask their friends, 55% chose to ask their teacher in school, 47% chose to ask their family members, and 34% chose to ask their private tutor. In addition, based on the interview session, interviewees stated: “I usually studied the materials repeatedly until I understood the video given, or read English books when I had free time so that I could have a better understanding of English,” “Learn to understand the meaning of words in English,” “Look for it on the website or ask a friend for help to explain what it means,” and “Ask someone nearby or look at the dictionary”. This study discusses two findings: junior high school students’ experiences and their English learning autonomy in using Google Classroom. First, the research data indicated that most junior high school students had good experiences when learning English through Google Classroom. The findings confirm the previous studies that Google Classroom is a useful online learning platform for students (Gupta & Pathania, 2021; Heggart & Yoo, 2018). The findings further claimed that Junior High School students could utilize Google Classroom in online learning activities. Google Classroom eased students in online learning activities since students could access the application through gadgets everywhere. Further, they also could open and study the learning materials repeatedly. Hence, by doing that, students could easily understand the materials when doing the assignments. Not only that, they could submit the assignments before the given deadline. These research findings are the same as the previous studies’ findings that Google Classroom is easy to use, helps them engage during learning activities, and can make the students do the task every time and everywhere (Gupta & Pathania, 2021; Heggart & Yoo, 2018). Teachers, moreover, utilized Google Classroom as an online learning platform. The teacher always sent the learning materials and assignments for the students through Google Classroom. However, the first research findings have differences from the previous studies’ findings. Previous studies (Gupta & Pathania, 2021) focused on higher education levels, and the findings showed that the participants felt at ease working together with other classmates through Google Classroom. In contrast, this study found that junior high school students did not feel that Google Classroom was the right platform for online discussion. Rather than using Google Classroom for having discussions, all students chose to use other online platforms such as WhatsApp or Zoom Meeting or chose to meet their friends and have direct discussions. As stated (Melani, 2020), Google Classroom has a Stream feature for communicating with students. However, based on these findings, it can be inferred that teachers did not utilize Google Classroom features—stream—well for having a discussion or interaction. Consequently, students have to discuss with their friends using other platforms. Second, the research data indicated the students’ English learning autonomy in using Google Classroom. The utilization of Google Classroom has a substantial impact on learning autonomy since students become accustomed to carrying out learning using Google Classroom, and the simplicity of use of Google Classroom encourages students to be disciplined and responsible (Damayanti et al., 2022). The findings can infer that junior high school students can be called reactive autonomous learners who still need teachers’ Yulistia & Savitri: Junior High School Students’ Experiences … 99 instructions. In the previous study, Littlewood (1999) cited (Adianingrum, 2017), reactive autonomy occurred when learners did not design their path. However, once launched, it allowed them to manage their resources independently to achieve their goal. Junior high school students managed their learning management after the teacher gave the materials and the assignments. They would plan their English learning activities independently at home. They further would open, read, and summarize the learning materials also would do and try their best to finish the assignments by themselves. Furthermore, regarding Benson (2013), junior high school students have gone through stages in learning autonomy: learning management control (learning behavior), cognitive process control (psychology of learning), and learning context control (learning situation). First is control over learning management which refers to self-management of learning in which learners are expected to plan, organize, and evaluate their learning using learning techniques. Based on the findings, it can be insisted that almost all junior high school students could implement this stage. The data showed that most of the students had good self-management of learning. They further used to plan, organize, and evaluate their English learning activities when learning through Google Classroom. They felt the responsibility to plan when would be the right time to do, finish, and evaluate the assignments given. By having that kind of responsibility, students also indirectly trained their learning autonomy. Furthermore, students had suitable cognitive process control regarding reflection, attention, and metacognitive knowledge. When they learned English independently through Google Classroom, they had good awareness and metacognitive of English. Most students felt that they could enhance their English expertise by learning English through Google Classroom. They opened and studied the learning materials repeatedly, making them autonomously sweeten their English knowledge. Although students still needed others to help them when having difficulty learning English alone, they still could enhance their English. Students also had good reflection when learning English independently. They could find out the shortcomings, mistakes, and obstacles when learning English on their own through Google Classroom. Hence, they could overcome it. Last is socio-affective. The findings showed that although students did not interact with teachers or friends in Google Classroom, they still had interaction through other online platforms to discuss some things regarding English materials and assignments. They would look for related references and read books when they had difficulties learning English independently. In line with (Banat & Martiani, 2020), students who are willing and able to do, study, and collect English assignments through Google Classroom could be called autonomous learners. In contrast, students who could not fulfill this aspect could not be called independent learners. As a result, Google Classroom helps the students, specifically junior high school students, to promote their English learning autonomy. D. CONCLUSION Hence, from this research findings, it can be concluded that Junior High School students experienced both good and unpleasant when learning English through Google Classroom. Moreover, utilizing Google Classroom to learn English can promote students’ English learning autonomy. Junior High School students become reactive autonomous learners because they can manage their learning in English when they have already received the teacher’s instruction. Students can enhance their autonomy learning by managing their learning management, behaviors, motivation, and willingness to learn English ELTIN Journal: Journal of English Language Teaching in Indonesia, Volume 10/No 2, October 2022 100 autonomously. However, teachers still play an essential role in using Google Classroom for online English learning. Students, specifically Junior High School students, still need the teacher’s instruction and explanation regarding the English teaching-learning activities. 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