Thai EFL secondary school teachers' perceptions and the challenges regarding the implementation of communicative language teaching (CLT)

The Ministry of Education (MOE) has advocated for the implementation of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in schools to enhance the communicative abilities of Thai students and address the limitations of traditional language teaching methods. This mixed-methods study aimed to investigate teachers' perceptions of the characteristics of CLT and the challenges they encountered when implementing CLT in their classrooms. The study involved 30 Thai EFL secondary school teachers who had experience with CLT implementation. Data was collected through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The results were categorised into three main areas: understanding of CLT characteristics, perceived challenges in implementing CLT, and the most commonly used teaching activities in CLT classrooms. The findings indicated that teachers demonstrated a strong understanding of CLT characteristics, including tasks and activities, the role of grammar, teacher roles, and student roles. Regarding challenges, teachers reported facing difficulties related to students, administration, and their own roles as educators.