When Strategies Matter More Than Tools: A Systematic Review of Smart Classroom Practices and EFL Speaking Fluency

Authors

  • Adriani Jihad STKIP YPUP Makassar
  • Iskandar Universitas Negeri Makassar
  • Amirullah Abduh Universitas Negeri Makassar

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58230/27454312.4174

Keywords:

Strategy-Mediated Learning, Smart Classroom, EFL Speaking Fluency, Systematic Literature Review, TEL

Abstract

A growing body of evidence challenges the assumption that smart classroom technologies, on their own, produce meaningful gains in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) speaking ability. This study reports a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) of 86 empirical investigations indexed in Scopus and published from 2020 to 2024, examining the conditions under which digitally enhanced learning environments contribute to speaking fluency development. Guided by PRISMA 2020 protocols, the review synthesizes findings across quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method studies to identify how metacognitive, affective, and social learning strategies mediate the relationship between technological affordances and fluency outcomes. Results indicate that technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI)-based feedback systems, learning management systems (LMS), and immersive environments function primarily as enablers of strategic processes rather than as independent agents of learning. Substantial improvements in temporal fluency, lexical range, and interactional competence were observed predominantly in instructional contexts where strategy scaffolding was deliberately embedded in pedagogical design. Based on these findings, the study introduces the Strategy-Affordance-Fluency (SAF) model, a theoretically grounded framework that reconceptualizes fluency development as a product of purposeful alignment among learner strategies, technological affordances, and instructional architecture. The review identifies two critical gaps: the near-absence of longitudinal inquiry and the persistent neglect of equity dimensions in technology-enhanced learning research. Implications are discussed for researchers, practitioners, and language program designers seeking to move beyond superficial technology integration toward more principled, process-oriented approaches.

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References

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Published

2026-05-30

Issue

Vol. 15 No. 2 Mei (2026): Didaktika Jurnal Kependidikan

Section

Articles

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How to Cite

Jihad, A. ., Iskandar, & Abduh, A. (2026). When Strategies Matter More Than Tools: A Systematic Review of Smart Classroom Practices and EFL Speaking Fluency. Didaktika: Jurnal Kependidikan, 15(2 Mei), 2891-2900. https://doi.org/10.58230/27454312.4174