Classroom Teaching Perceptions of Native Chinese Language Teachers in Thai Schools
Keywords:
teaching challenges, multimedia teaching, gamified teaching, classroom management, cultural differences, Chinese language teaching strategiesAbstract
This study investigated classroom teaching challenges encountered by native Chinese language teachers in Thai schools, and proposed effective strategies employed by the teachers. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, exploring quantitative data from a questionnaire survey of 55 teachers and collecting qualitative insights from semi-structured interviews with 8 participants. The questionnaire findings revealed that the students' language ability was rated at the 'Agree' level (x̅=3.90, S.D.=0.70), the teaching resources aspect at the 'Strongly agree' level (x̅=4.22, S.D.=0.62), while the classroom management aspect at the 'Agree' level (x̅=3.96, S.D.=0.80). Catering to learner differences was rated at the 'Strongly agree' level (x̅=4.15, S.D.=0.65). The three major challenges with the highest scores were cultural differences (x̅=4.05, S.D.=0.68), students' motivation (x̅=3.95, S.D.=0.77), and communication with students and parents (x̅=3.90, S.D.=0.82). Qualitative data from semi-structured interviews further highlighted language barriers, particularly in Pinyin and pronunciation instruction. Teachers also elaborated on the inadequacy of teaching materials, noting that they were not customized for Thai learners, and on the difficulties in classroom management arising from differing educational cultures and student behaviors. Effective strategies to address these challenges consisted of the use of multimedia facilities in teaching, creating a relaxing classroom atmosphere, and integrating Chinese culture into the lessons to enhance students' motivation and contextual understanding.
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