Background and Purpose: Education plays a vital role in preparing a generation of learners who are critical, creative, and adaptable to an ever-changing world. This study aimed to examine the extent to which the integration of Concept-Based Instruction (CBI) and Project-Based Learning (PBL) improved the critical thinking, collaboration skills, and grammar competence of BTEC student teachers. Methodology and Results: A one-group pretest–posttest pre-experimental design was employed with 21 student teachers. A paired-samples t-test revealed that posttest scores were statistically significantly higher than pretest scores, with a mean gain of 9.29 points. Five expert evaluators assessed students’ project performance across five selected facets of understanding: Explanation, Interpretation, Application, Perspective, and Self-Knowledge. Group-level results showed overall means of 3.04 for Group 1, 3.36 for Group 2, and 3.09 for Group 3. Group 2 showed particularly high scores in Perspective (M = 3.80) and Explanation (M = 3.70). In addition, a Self/Group Evaluation Worksheet was administered to examine students’ perceptions of their collaborative learning experiences. The findings indicated that PBL activities supported students in working collaboratively, planning tasks, monitoring their work, and reflecting on their learning, thereby developing skills essential for teamwork and project management. Contribution: The findings provide empirical evidence that integrating Concept-Based Instruction and Project-Based Learning can provide an effective instructional framework for developing student teachers’ critical thinking and collaboration skills. The study suggests that policymakers and curriculum developers consider incorporating similar integrated approaches into teacher education curricula. Further research should examine the long-term effects of this instructional approach and its applicability across different educational contexts and learning trajectories. Keywords: Concept-based instruction, critical thinking, collaboration, grammar, project-based learning. Cite as: Hieng, S., Hum, C., Soeung, S., Chhen, S., & Sam, R. (2026). Integrating concept-based instruction and project-based learning to enhance grammar competence, critical thinking, and collaboration among Cambodian student teachers authors. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 12(1), 60-81. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol12iss1pp60-81
Background and Purpose: Social media marketing has become a crucial strategy for restaurants seeking to attract and retain customers in a competitive environment. Among the various digital marketing tools, influencer marketing has emerged as a powerful approach for shaping consumer attitudes and driving purchase behaviour. However, despite its widespread adoption, there is limited empirical understanding of how influencer characteristics affect consumer responses in the restaurant context. Grounded in the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework, this study aims to examine how influencer trustworthiness, expertise, and homophily influence consumers’ brand attitude and purchase intention in Saudi Arabia’s casual dining sector. It further explores the mediating role of brand attitude in these relationships. Methodology: Data were collected through an online survey targeting active social media followers of casual dining restaurants in Saudi Arabia. A total of 343 valid responses were obtained using purposive sampling. The data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) with bootstrapping to test direct and mediating relationships among the study variables. Findings: Results reveal that influencer trustworthiness and expertise significantly enhance brand attitude and purchase intention, while homophily does not have a significant direct effect on purchase intention. Brand attitude positively influences purchase intention and mediates the effects of all three influencer attributes on purchase intention. Contributions: This study contributes to Stimuli-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework by clarifying how specific influencer traits shape consumer decision-making in restaurant contexts. Practically, it offers guidance for restaurant marketers in selecting influencers and fostering favourable brand attitudes to optimize social media marketing outcomes. Keywords: Social media influencers, brand attitude, purchase intention, casual dining restaurants. Cite as: Alnakar, L., & Mohamed Anuar, M. (2026). The mediating role of brand attitude in the relationship between influencers marketing on social media and purchase intention in Saudi Arabia. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 12(1), 37-59. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol12iss1pp37-59
Background and Purpose: Machine translation has undergone rapid transformation over the past decade, driven by advances in neural machine translation and large language models, yet systematic attention to the field’s overall intellectual structure during this critical transition remains limited. This study aims to visualize the evolution of machine translation research from 2016 to 2025, with particular attention to its interdisciplinary development and trends in the post-2022 era of large language models. Methodology: This study presents a bibliometric analysis of machine translation research from a language and translation perspective, based on 582 journal articles published between 2016 and 2025 and indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection. Using VOSviewer, it examines the main characteristics of machine translation publications and key research themes. Findings: The findings show a steady rise in machine translation research output, reflecting growing scholarly interest alongside technological advances. Research is globally distributed but concentrated in Europe and Asia, particularly in Spain and China. Journals in translation studies and computational linguistics account for the largest share of publications and receive the most scholarly attention. However, the field has yet to form a stable core author group, indicating a dispersed and evolving research structure. Five major research themes are identified: technological development and model innovation; human-machine collaboration and application contexts; machine translation quality evaluation; translation studies and industry-related research; and language education with ethical considerations. Contributions: By mapping research trajectories and key contributors, this study offers a solid foundation for advancing future research, emphasizing the need for cross-regional and interdisciplinary collaboration and a balanced integration of technological, human, and ethical dimensions. Keywords: Bibliometric analysis, machine translation, translation studies, visualization, VOSviewer. Cite as: Tang, N., Moindjie, M. A., Lyu, Z., & Wu, S. (2026). Visualizing a decade of machine translation research (2016–2025): A VOSviewer-based bibliometric analysis. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 12(1), 1-19. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol12iss1pp1-19
Background and Purpose: This bibliometric analysis study provides a detailed analysis of the landscape of research on technology-mediated English language skills teaching and learning over the past decade. The goal is to shed light on the most popular subjects, prolific authors, publications, and countries involved. By examining 209 documents retrieved from the Scopus database from 2014-2023, this study aims to reveal significant trends and insights into the evolution of technology-mediated teaching and learning processes. Methodology: The study utilises bibliometric analysis, with data collection conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. It employed tools such as VOSviewer, Excel, and Tableau. The research involves quantitative metrics to graphically represent publication trends, country contributions and collaborations, prolific authors, and recurring research themes. Findings: The analysis shows a significant rise in technology-mediated English language teaching publications since 2021, led by the United States, China, and Malaysia. Key topics include e-learning, communication skills, computer-assisted teaching, pandemic's impact, speech recognition, and teaching, highlighting central themes and collaborative networks. Contributions: It highlights critical trends and areas of focus in technology-mediated English language education. It underscores the importance of prioritising research on technological media in language education and suggests future research directions to enhance English language proficiency, particularly speaking skills. Keywords: Bibliometric analysis, technology mediated in teaching and learning, English-speaking skills. Cite as: Khofifah, I., & Yahya, N. (2026). A decade of research on technology-mediated English language proficiency enhancement: A bibliometric analysis. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 11(2), 477-491. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol11iss2pp477-491
Background and Purpose: Writing proficiency is a fundamental component of academic success, particularly in higher education. However, many college students continue to struggle with developing effective writing skills. This study aimed to design and validate a set of discrete writing tasks specifically tailored for Filipino college students in Southern Philippines and to evaluate their effectiveness in improving students’ writing proficiency. The study sought to assess the tasks' content validity, examine their clarity and relevance, and measure their impact on student performance. Methodology: A Design-Based Research (DBR) framework guided the study, comprising two key phases: the Development Phase and the Experimental Phase. In the Development Phase, the discrete writing tasks were subjected to expert validation by five subject matter experts, focusing on quality and clarity. In the Experimental Phase, 30 students were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n=15) or the control group (n=15). Writing proficiency was measured using an essay-type test evaluated with a rubric adapted from the IELTS Writing Test 2023 version. The Content Validity Index (CVI) was used to assess task quality. Descriptive statistics (means and standard deviations) were calculated, and inferential analyses, including the t-test and Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA), were applied to determine significant differences between groups. Findings: The discrete-task intervention significantly improved students' writing proficiency. The experimental group achieved "Very Good to Expert Level" post-test mean scores across all dimensions: content (M = 4.77), coherence/cohesion (M = 4.79), lexical resource (M = 4.53), grammatical range (M = 4.23), and mechanics (M = 4.54). Conversely, the control group’s mean scores ranged from 2.62 to 3.69 ("Limited to Modest" and "Competent to Good" levels). While a paired-samples t-test showed significant pretest-to-posttest improvement for the control group (p = .002), an independent-samples t-test revealed a statistically significant difference in gain scores favoring the experimental group, t(28) = 16.345, p < .001. Significant differences spanned all writing sub-skills with large effect sizes (η² > .80), particularly in lexical resource, grammatical range, and mechanics, demonstrating the substantial positive impact of the discrete-task intervention. Contributions: This study provides empirical evidence supporting the use of discrete, well-designed writing tasks as an instructional strategy for improving college students' writing skills. The validated task set can serve as a pedagogical resource for writing instruction in higher education. Future research may explore the integration of digital platforms to further support task implementation and learner engagement. Keywords: Discrete tasks, intervention, writing proficiency, writing task validation. Cite as: Aranego, R. B., Tulud, D. M., Verona, M. O., Gabano-Magbanua, G. B., Dollente, L. A. U., Resurreccion, M. A., De Guzman, E. L. T., Uyangurin, A. B., & Estilloso, E. M. (2026). Design and validation of discrete writing tasks to enhance the writing proficiency of college students in southern Philippines. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 11(2), 262-277. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol11iss2pp262-277
