Classroom management challenges during a cross-cultural teaching practicum in Thailand

Abstract

This study examines the classroom management challenges an Indonesian pre-service teacher experienced during a two-month teaching practicum at a primary school in southern Thailand. It employed a qualitative reflective case study design. The participant, who was also the first author, taught English to nine Grade 1 students in a Montessori-inspired classroom. Data were collected through classroom observations, daily teaching notes, and reflective journals and were analysed thematically. Three interconnected challenges emerged. The first was maintaining young learners’ attention, which was undermined by short attention spans, frequent distractions, side conversations, and low task engagement. The second was negotiating teacher authority. The third was the language barrier, which reduced instructional clarity and led to misunderstood directions, repeated explanations, and difficulties in managing student behaviour. The study highlights the need to prepare pre-service teachers with classroom management strategies, multilingual communication skills, and intercultural competence before international teaching practicums.