Enhancing Occupational English Speaking Skills among STEM Students through an Integrated EOP–Ethnopedagogical Digital Framework

<ns5:p> Background English for Occupational Purposes (EOP) instruction is critical for equipping university graduates with professional communication competencies required in globalized labor markets. However, EOP materials in non-English major programs often lack connection to learners’ disciplinary contexts and sociocultural backgrounds, limiting pedagogical relevance and efficacy. This study introduces the EOP–Ethnopedagogical Digital (EED) Framework and its implementation through EOP EMPOWER, a web-based e-module grounded in Riau Malay ethnopedagogy. Methods A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest control-group design was employed, involving 162 Computer Science students (n = 81 experimental; n = 81 control) from three universities in Riau Province, Indonesia. The experimental group received eight weeks of instruction through EOP EMPOWER, while the control group received conventional instruction. Speaking performance was assessed across five dimensions—pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension—using a validated rubric (ICC = .92; Cronbach’s α = .832; Aiken’s V = .89). Data were analyzed using paired-samples t-tests, independent-samples t-tests, and one-way ANCOVA for effect size estimation. Results The experimental group demonstrated statistically significant improvements following the intervention (p < .001), with a large effect size (η <ns5:sup>2</ns5:sup> p = .376), substantially outperforming the control group (post-test M = 71.21 vs. M = 61.57; mean gain = 18.17 vs. 8.54 points). Vocabulary and comprehension showed the most pronounced gains, followed by fluency, grammar, and pronunciation. Conclusions EOP EMPOWER significantly enhances occupational English speaking ability among STEM students. The EED Framework demonstrates that culturally embedded digital instruction, grounded in Riau Malay ethnopedagogy and Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, can effectively mediate occupational language acquisition. The study contributes to the SDG 4 Quality Education agenda by offering an empirically validated, culturally responsive, and replicable pedagogical model applicable across diverse higher education contexts. </ns5:p>