Genre-based approach in Indonesia ELT: a thematic analysis

Since 2004, the Genre-Based Approach (GBA) have been included in the Indonesian National Curriculum. Secondary schools especially uses this method in very different ways. In this study, how GBA is applied now is examined. Around 101 documents from 2004 to 2025 were analyzed. It was found that writing skills is focused on by schools a lot. Instead of real-life materials, specific model texts are used. Even though digital platforms are popular, GBA still mostly applied in traditional media contexts. GBA is part of our education, and it is interesting to watch how schools handle it. Usually, written work are checked by teachers for assessment. Even if there are problems like students can't speak well or teachers misunderstand, students are really helped by this teaching style to get better score, be creative, and confident. The study shows that GBA in Indonesia focus too much on structure rules. To make GBA useful for social understanding, listening and reading skills should be balance with speaking and writing by teachers and researchers. Also, better teacher training is needed to fix teaching problems, so this approach not just follow rules but support real communication.