Overcoming Challenges: Implementing the CEFR in Thai Secondary School English Classrooms

Abstract

In 2016, the Thai Ministry of Education (MOE) introduced the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) (Council of Europe, 2001) as a guideline for teachers in primary and secondary schools. The CEFR is a six-point scale (A1-C2) that describes a language learner’s proficiency. This study investigated how Thai EFL teachers implement the CEFR in the classroom. The participants were 300 Thai EFL teachers from public secondary schools in Northeastern Thailand, each with at least three years of teaching experience. Convenience sampling was used to select participants. Quantitative data were collected through a seven-point Likert scale questionnaire. In contrast, qualitative data were obtained from semi-structured interviews with 10 participants, purposefully chosen based on their willingness indicated in the survey questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, percentages, and standard deviation were used to analyse the quantitative data, while the qualitative data were coded into CEFR domains. The quantitative results showed that Thai EFL teachers moderately implement the CEFR in their classrooms. The study highlighted a significant need for better CEFR implementation in language teaching. The qualitative findings corroborated those teachers moderately applied the CEFR. The overall findings suggest that teachers and curriculum developers need more CEFR training, and further research is recommended.