Abstract
This study examined the challenges of teaching and learning English grammar in the EFL context of Mae Hong Son, Thailand. Although English has been a part of the curriculum in Thailand for several decades, teacher and student grammar competencies remain low and ineffective. The research aimed to document the challenges faced by teachers and students and to provide a basis for empirical research in instructional improvement. An Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods design was employed. In the first quantitative phase, a survey covering seven areas of pedagogy was administered to forty-nine (n = 49) in-service EFL teachers in the Mae Hong Son district. These areas included explicit grammar instruction, knowledge transfer, grammatical terminology, error fixing, problem-solving, authentic texts, and communicative activities. The mean moderation score of 3.41, with a significant proportion of the sample indicating the described pedagogies as challenges, confirms these as substantial challenges. Students preferred explicit grammar instruction considerably more than teachers (M = 4.18). More experienced teachers (those with 10 years or more of experience) reported fewer challenges (M = 3.20) than those with less experience (5 years or less) (M = 3.65). This equally weighted sample produced a significant difference, t(47) = 2.45, p < 0.05. In the qualitative phase, thematic analysis based on interviews with fourteen (n = 14) purposively sampled teachers provided greater understanding. Three key themes were identified: (1) student motivation, (2) grammar terminology, and (3) problem-solving frustrations. Educators attributed low motivation to students' restrictive vocabularies, which prevented learners from participating in communicative and problem-solving tasks, even when the students had mastered the grammar. This suggests a more central underlying issue of vocabulary deficiency. There was a moderate positive correlation (r = 0.465, p = 0.001) between the challenges teachers face and those encountered by students, suggesting the existence of a cycle in which learners' challenges create and sustain a gap in instruction. While the heavy reliance on the Thai language for explanations was initially helpful, it ultimately proved counterproductive to the learners' long-term English proficiency. In summary, the challenges of teaching grammar and learning grammar in Maehongson are complex and intertwined, necessitating comprehensive reform in teacher training, curriculum, and classroom approaches. Findings indicate the need to implement motivation and vocabulary interventions to address the reciprocal challenges cycle between teachers and learners.
