Classroom management in CFL education at all-girls secondary schools in the UAE

Abstract

Classroom management is a significant issue for foreign language teachers. However, in Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) education, little is known about classroom management for female secondary school students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This paper focuses on classroom management issues and solutions in CFL education at all-girls secondary schools in the UAE, with the aim of providing insights toward enhancing teachers’ classroom management and students’ learning. Data were collected in March 2020 via online surveys completed by CFL teachers and students of all-girls secondary schools in the UAE. In addition, several teachers (chosen at random) were interviewed to obtain further details on their classroom management experiences. Quantitative and qualitative analysis revealed that CFL teachers face issues with students frequently entering and leaving the classroom, being late to or absent from class, talking out of turn, disrespecting teachers, and coming to class without the right materials. Teachers use various strategies to address these issues, including getting help from administrators, creating reward and consequence systems, and changing their teaching methods. The findings suggest that CFL teachers can enhance their classroom management by being more professional, building rapport with students, and avoiding seeking frequent help from administrators.

Keywords:

• classroom management
• Chinese as a foreign language
• all-girls secondary school
• the UAE

PUBLIC INTEREST STATEMENT

This paper discussed classroom management issues and solutions in Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) education at all-girls secondary schools in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Data were collected in March 2020 via online surveys completed by CFL teachers and students of all-girls secondary schools in the UAE. In addition, several teachers (chosen at random) were interviewed to obtain further details on their classroom management experiences. Quantitative and qualitative analysis revealed that CFL teachers face issues with students including frequently entering and leaving the classroom, and being late to or absent from class. Teachers use various strategies to address these issues, including getting help from administrators, and creating reward and consequence systems. The findings suggest that CFL teachers can enhance their classroom management by being more professional, building rapport with students, and avoiding seeking frequent help from administrators. The findings provide insights toward enhancing teachers’ classroom management and students’ learning, not only in CFL education area, but also in other foreign languages education areas

1. Introduction

Classroom management is “a pressing concern, a frequent struggle, and a serious challenge mainly for beginning foreign language teachers” (Macías, 2018, pp. 153–166). Therefore, it has attracted significant attention with respect to foreign language education. Previous studies (e.g., Debreli & Ishanova, 2019; Macías & Sánchez, 2015; Quintero & Ramírez, 2011) have focused on classroom management issues and solutions in English as a foreign language (EFL) education; however, limited research has considered classroom management in Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) education—especially in the context of secondary schools. According to Zhou and Li (2015), “Chinese teacher management styles are deeply rooted in their cultural systems: Due to the influence of Confucian culture, Chinese teachers tend to have high expectations for group conformity and prefer to use group pressure and verbal scolding strategies” (p. 20). This cultural background makes classroom management in CFL education unique. Since existing limited research on classroom management in CFL education for secondary school students has been conducted in countries such as Australia and Thailand (Gao, 2013; Plao, 2012), it is unclear what main issues would the CFL teachers encounter in teaching female secondary school students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and what solutions would they take to solve those issues. This study fills this research gap.

The relationship between China and the UAE is strengthening in several areas. For example, China has sent many CFL teachers to the UAE to teach Chinese in local public schools since 2017 due to “a growing interest among Emirati people to understand the Chinese language and culture” (Chinese language programme to launch officially in UAE schools in September, 2019). To date, there are more than 200 CFL teachers teaching in the UAE. In contrast to the rapid increase in CFL education, understanding of classroom management in the UAE for female secondary school students is lacking. Meanwhile, the unique context surrounding female secondary school students in the UAE calls for exploration of classroom management in CFL education in this environment.

To address the lack of research on this issue, the present study examines the main issues that CFL teachers encounter in teaching female secondary school students in the UAE, and proposes solutions to those issues for better teaching and learning.

2. Literature review

2.1. Definitions of classroom management

There were several definitions of “classroom management” proposed by researchers in the history. Doyle (1986) stated that “management is commonly viewed as a pre-requisite to instruction, something to get out of the way so that teaching can occur” (p. 394). Similarly, Brophy (1996) claimed that classroom management was the actions taken to create and maintain a learning environment which aimed to provide successful instructions. To be more specific, Marzano (2003) divided the “actions” into four parts: “establishing and reinforcing rules and procedures, carrying out disciplinary actions, maintaining effective teacher and student relationships, and maintaining an appropriate mental set for management” (p. 88). However, Wright (2005) thought that “classroom management is concerned with managing both internal and external events and influences, including establishing and maintaining order, generating learning opportunities and dealing with people’s feelings and interactions” (p. 115). Equally, Mercer and Gkonou (2020) believed that classroom management was one of the emotional aspects that needed to be harnessed between the teacher and students.

All in all, classroom management is to make teaching and learning successful with different methods and techniques, which include internal and external interferences. The definitions of classroom management were more and more specific to be easier for teachers to implement. And researchers began to be more aware of the affection aspect during classroom management.

2.2. The main theoretical approaches to classroom management

Brophy (2006) outlined the development of classroom management as follows: In the early 1900s, researchers paid attention to habit formation and attached less importance to aspects such as self-regulation and cooperative learning. In the 1950s, greater concern was directed at involving students in developing rules and procedures, and helping them to achieve appropriate levels of self-control. In addition, a balance between authoritarian and laissez-faire approaches to classroom management began to evolve, based on behavioral and ecological studies. Accordingly, behavioral studies emphasized the use of techniques to increase students’ desirable behavior and procedures to decrease undesirable behavior. While ecological studies held the idea that classrooms are environmental settings, “one needs to take into account the affordances and constraints created by teachers, peers, and other human actors, not just the settings’ physical characteristics” (Brophy, 2006, p. 27). Brophy (2006) also highlighted process-outcome studies conducted from the 1960s through the 1980s; these focused on the effects or outcomes of teacher actions and student interaction patterns.

In summary, Brophy (2006) stated that research on classroom management moved from inculcating good behavioral habits to engaging in learning activities; from reactive discipline to proactive installation of desired procedures and routines; and from unilateral teacher control to developing students’ capacities for exercising responsibility and self-regulation. Brophy (2006) highlighted the preventable feature of classroom management, in which clarifying what students are expected to do and helping them do it is likely to be more effective than management that focuses on misbehavior and after-the-fact discipline.

2.3. Characteristics of classroom management in foreign language education

Researchers believe in the particular characteristics of classroom management in foreign language education, in which the use of target language during classroom management is key (Macías, 2018; Wright, 2005). According to Wright (2005), “the various aspects of classroom management—institutional, social, pedagogic, affective—and their connections with the primary concerns of classroom management—order, opportunity and care—have strong discoursal characteristics” (p. 221); “In language teaching, research which implicates or touches upon classroom management issues is generally (and probably rightly) enmeshed in discussions of other aspects of classroom life, especially spoken interaction” (p. 424). Moreover, Macías (2018) pointed out that “classroom management” is not identical across all subject matter areas, and that the distinctive characteristics of classroom management in specific content areas should be considered. He studied classroom management in foreign language education, and highlighted the impact that particular features of foreign language instruction, especially target language use, can have on the process of managing the classroom.

Several studies have also investigated teachers’ first language and target language use in classroom management (Bateman, 2008; Evans, 2012; Kang, 2013; Wilkerson, 2008). For example, Bateman (2008) studied such use by student teachers at a private university. He found that teachers preferred to use their first language when emphasizing classroom management aspects, as opposed to language development aspects. Similarly, Wilkerson (2008) confirmed that teachers of Spanish language courses in the United States used their first language to manage the class effectively. However, Evans (2012) worked with five teachers and found that target language use in classroom management positively affects student behavior. Similarly, Kang (2013) investigated the use of first language and target language during classroom management by two non-native English speaking EFL teachers at two elementary schools in Korea. He also observed and audio-recorded students in nine classes between March and June 2010. The results revealed that a teacher whose EFL proficiency level was higher relied significantly more on the target language, while a teacher whose proficiency level was low depended significantly more on their first language. The results also showed that students with low proficiency preferred using their first language because of their wakefulness of target language, while those with higher proficiency considered using the target language in classroom management helpful in developing their target language, and indicated that it increased their respect for the teacher, and improved their obedience.

In conclusion, some specific features of foreign language teaching, especially target language use, affect classroom management both positively and negatively. In a positive sense, students can develop their target language skills, and have greater respect for their teacher. In a negative sense, teachers have to spend more time controlling the class, which is not efficient and can even be ineffective. Dividing students into low- and high-proficiency learners in order to use different kinds of directions with each is one strategy to address this; therein, low-level learners can be managed in their first language while high-level learners are managed in the target language. However, teachers must have high proficiency in the target language in order to implement this strategy.

2.4. Chinese teachers’ philosophy on classroom management

In China, as noted by Peng (1993), Chinese teachers have very high social status; students are expected to show respect, conformity, and obedience to teachers, in the same way as they do to their parents. Furthermore, Chinese teachers expect and teach students to behave in accordance with the greater benefits to the whole class, and Chinese students “feel an obligation to show their conformity to the social group to which they belong” (Hue & Li, 2008). These cultural backgrounds mean that Chinese teachers spend relatively less time on classroom management (Stevenson & Stigler, 1992). Because Chinese teachers prefer to adopt certain instructional routines and approaches to foster students’ self-discipline and conformity in school settings (Peng, 1993), even when issues arise Chinese teachers can manage the class well by using non-verbal interventions, such as stern looks or group pressure, which Chinese students understand clearly (Zhou, 2013). Verbal scolding and formal language use are also necessary when there is serious misbehavior. For example, Chinese teachers tend to apply harsh disciplinary practices such as verbal scolding of the whole class (Hue & Li, 2008). They also manage misbehaving individual students through communication, reasoning, and negotiation after class (Ding et al., 2010).

In summary, Chinese teachers’ philosophy on classroom management is profoundly affected by cultural factors. Due to their belief in status and group concepts, Chinese teachers spend little time and tend to use group pressure and verbal scolding strategies to manage classrooms.

2.5. Classroom management issues and solutions in foreign language education

Researchers have shown that classroom management is challenging for new foreign language teachers. For example, Quintero and Ramírez (2011) investigated five EFL teacher trainees from a public school in Colombia, and found that most of the trainees found it hard to establish their authority in class, which made classroom management difficult. Similarly, Macías and Sánchez (2015) found that pre-service EFL teachers in Colombia faced obstacles in managing their classes because their self-image was still that of college student, rather than teacher. However, classroom management can still be challenging even for experienced teachers. For instance, Burnett (2011) studied two experienced language teachers working in public schools in Southern Mississippi and their use of various strategies to deal with students’ misbehaviors. One teacher also revealed that she was too busy dealing with students’ talking out of turn to apply the strategies effectively.

Types of misbehavior among students in foreign language classrooms include using one’s mother tongue instead of the foreign language, asking irrelevant questions, using a mobile phone, talking excessively, and being unwilling to participate due to low motivation (Debreli & Ishanova, 2019). Meanwhile, teachers experience mismatches between their cultural expectations and students’ actual classroom behavior, and struggle with challenges related to understanding the demands of actual classroom management, a lack of effective strategies for managing the classroom, and language barriers (Zhou & Li, 2015).

In light of these challenges, researchers have provided several solutions for classroom management issues in foreign language education. First, some studies have focused on the affective aspect, in which, for example, foreign language teachers must have a positive attitude (Al Zeini, 2008; Debreli & Ishanova, 2019). In addition, Al Zeini (2008) investigated 210 male and female public high school EFL teachers in the UAE in regard to classroom management, and found that an effective technique and required skill needed for teachers to manage their classes successfully is building rapport with students. Debreli & Ishanova, (2019) found the teachers’ preferred strategies to handle student misbehavior are mostly affective, and include specific use of body language, not administering punishment, and being positive.

Second, some researchers have focused on the strategic aspect, including foreign language teachers developing engaging activities and attractive rewards systems in order to minimize misbehavior (Evrim et al., 2009; Fowler & Şaraplı, 2010; Macías & Sánchez, 2015; Quintero & Ramírez, 2011; Rahimi & Hosseini, 2012; Wen et al., 2013). Quintero and Ramírez (2011) presented a series of techniques for maintaining discipline, such as providing a variety of activities in lessons, maintaining students’ attention, giving clear explanations and instructions, keeping learners busy, and managing time wisely. Similarly, Wen et al. (2013) divided Chinese language classroom management into five parts: teachers, students, language teaching, activities, and classroom rules. They proposed suggestions relevant to each context, including teachers promoting their professional competence and developing a specific teaching style, knowing their students, ensuring excellent class design, and outlining effective classroom rules. However, an information gap exists regarding classroom management expectations between teachers and students. Teachers need to let students know what is expected from them in terms of behaviors and tests, while students need effective classroom management from their teachers (Fowler & Şaraplı, 2010). As a result, a well-developed reward and consequence system is necessary. According to Evrim et al. (2009), students and teachers should both be responsible for managing the classroom, and students tend to acquire acceptable behaviors when these are reinforced by a system of rewards and consequences. In Macías and Sánchez (2015) study of pre-service foreign language teachers in a teacher education program at a public university in Colombia, it was found that establishing rules and reinforcing consequences for misbehavior are the primary approaches to classroom management. EFL teachers use recognition and reward most often, and punishment and aggression less frequently, when dealing with classroom management (Rahimi & Hosseini, 2012).

Third, several studies have found support for both affective and strategic aspects (Gao, 2013; El Mittwalli, 2015; Plao, 2012; Soares, 2007). Soares (2007) found that building rapport and developing awareness-raising activities constitute an effective way to minimize behavior issues—such as disruptive talking, incomplete homework, and unwillingness to speak only target language in class—in the foreign language classroom. Similarly, Plao (2012) studied Chinese language classroom management in relation to students, teachers, school administrators, and parents from four secondary schools in Chiang Mai, Thailand. According to their results, teachers should build rapport with students, get to know students, and implement classroom rules in order to manage students efficiently and effectively. The findings also revealed that teachers should promote their professional competence and use psychological knowledge to solve classroom management problems. Similar results have been revealed in other research; for instance, developing the language ability needed to manage the classroom, paying attention to rapport, collaborating with colleagues, and promoting professional competence have been shown to contribute to effective classroom management (Gao, 2013; El Mittwalli, 2015).

The above-detailed studies have revealed much about foreign language classroom management issues and solutions. However, most have focused on EFL education, and relatively little is known about CFL education, particularly for secondary school students, and especially in the UAE. Given the steady increase in the number of CFL teachers recruited to teach in the UAE, there is a critical need to better understand issues pertaining to classroom management in this context.

2.6. Research questions

Informed by the literature review above, this study addresses classroom management in CFL education for female secondary school students in the UAE, which fills the research gap in this context. The outcomes of the study may help CFL teachers at all-girls secondary schools in the UAE to achieve better classroom management, which will in turn help female secondary school students in the UAE to enhance their learning of Chinese language. The study is guided by following research questions:

1. What classroom management issues do CFL teachers face at all-girls secondary schools in the UAE?

2. What solutions can CFL teachers implement to solve these classroom management problems?

3. Method

3.1. Participants

A total of 57 CFL teachers working at all-girls secondary schools in the UAE took part in this study. Of the teachers, three were male and 54 were female; 33 were aged under 30, 21 were aged between 31 and 40 years old, and three were aged between 41 and 50 years old. In addition, 54 teachers majored in teaching Chinese as a foreign language, while three majored in Chinese literature. At the time the research was conducted, 54 teachers had been teaching female secondary school students in the UAE for fewer than three years, while three had been teaching these students for between 7 and 9 years. The teachers were assigned to public schools from 7th to 12th grade. Most teachers also had experience teaching Chinese as a foreign language in a country other than the UAE.

In addition to the above, 188 female secondary school students in the UAE from 7th to 9th grade participated in the study. Of these, about 62% had been learning Chinese for less than a year, 29% for between one and two years, 3% for between two and three years, and 6% for more than three years.

3.2. Data collection and analysis

Two questionnaires, one for CFL teachers (Appendix A), and one for female secondary school students in the UAE (Appendix B), have been developed according to Ministerial Decision No. 851 Regarding the regulation of managing the behavior of students in public education institutions (UAE Ministry of Education, 2018), in which students’ main behavioral issues and appropriate solutions are listed. The questionnaires were used as an online survey in March, 2020. The survey was administered by WJX, an online crowdsourcing platform in mainland China, which provides functions equivalent to Amazon Mechanical Turk. Both teachers and students need to make choices on questions about CFL classroom management issues and solutions at all-girls secondary schools in the UAE.

A qualitative approach underpinned by an interpretivist paradigm would be used to seek teachers’ additional details on their classroom management experiences pertaining to students at all-girls secondary schools in the UAE. Various interpretive approaches would be required, such as “un-structured interviews, case studies, narratives, and action research” (Hartas, 2010, p. 44). In the present study, the interpretive approach took the use of semi-structured interviews. As the study addresses students’ main behavioral issues and CFL teachers’ approaches in a female secondary school in the UAE context, interview questions were developed based on the following two aspects:

1. Classroom management issues encountered and factors behind them;

2. Main functional solutions used.

The interview guide (Appendix C) is a rough outline for conducting the interviews. Some follow-up questions were asked based on the participants’ answers. A pilot interview was conducted to make sure the right questions would be asked. The formal interview was conducted at an appropriate pace with teachers individually in Chinese. The interviews lasted between 30 and 60 minutes. All interviews were recorded with the permission of participants. Detailed notes were taken.

From the sample of teachers surveyed, several were chosen at random for the interview. According to Sargeant (2012), random selection of participants reduces the impact of external variables and ensures generalizable results. When reporting the results, pseudonyms (e.g., Hu, Zhang, and Li) were used to refer to the respondents in order to protect their anonymity.

Certainly, both teachers and students have been aware of the context and of what they have been doing in the class, which would ensure the processing of the research and consequently would contribute to the validity and improvement of this study.

As detailed above, three sources of data were gathered. The first source was the online survey for teachers of female secondary school students in the UAE. The survey covered topics including issues the participants faced in managing their classrooms, and techniques or methods they used to solve these problems. The results were collected by WJX automatically online. The second source comprised interviews with teachers, who had also completed the online survey. The interviews related to their comments on classroom management and detailed examples from their classrooms. The third source was the online survey of female secondary school students in the UAE, in which the students’ perceptions of their behaviors in CFL classrooms were collected. This survey was conducted in order to identify reasons for classroom management issues and the students’ preferred approaches for teachers to manage them. The results were also collected by WJX automatically online.

The data were analyzed using quantitative and qualitative analysis. The quantitative analysis in this research involved the surveys completed by the teachers and students. Sargeant (2012) stated that qualitative analysis aims to analyze and interpret data to simplify the subject under study and to find answers to the research question. The qualitative analysis in this research involved the interviews conducted with teachers.

4. Findings

4.1. Teachers’ perspective on characteristics of female secondary school students in the UAE

Secondary schools in the UAE include students from grades 5–12. Most are single-gender schools. At secondary schools in the UAE, students are adolescents, so they can be seen as not quite children but not yet adults. As Zhang commented in the interview,

The students like to chat and play with their friends, and have a lot of energy to pursue their interests and use the Internet to follow celebrities. They also have their own thoughts about the people and the world around them.

Moreover, schoolwork takes up a lot of time for female secondary school students in the UAE. As Wang stated,

The students are at school for seven hours every working day, from 8am to 3pm, with breaks totaling about one hour in total (comprised of five minutes between every two lessons, plus two longer breaks). In Chinese language classes students are often active and positive, especially when learning Chinese language songs and characters and playing Chinese language games.

However, several challenges remain with respect to female secondary schools in the UAE. First, pubertal students can misbehave and be sensitive. As Li outlined during the interview,

The students often do not have a strong awareness of classroom rules, especially when they meet a new teacher, while they get mad when receiving punishments.

Zhang shared similar perspective,

The students use specific but inconsistent means of communicating with teachers; for example, although they enjoy chatting with teachers, they occasionally deliberately try to make the teacher angry. They also often chat during class, and may turn up halfway through a class, or enter and leave the classroom throughout the lesson.

Second, most students have confidence in the future while lacking motivation. As Hu shared in her interview,

The UAE government provides local people great economic welfare and assurance. So even if students did not do well at school, they still can get the benefits. It is understandable that students do not have clear aims or motivation.

Third, there is a wide gap between students. Wang shared her experience of the Chinese classroom as follows,

In Chinese language classes, some students were talented and motivated to learn, while others were rebellious and refused to try to learn. Thus, the gap between them became wider and wider.

In summary, female secondary school students in the UAE share many common characteristics with secondary school students around the world, such as enjoying chatting and spending time with their friends, being busy with studying, and misbehaving and being sensitive. Meanwhile, they possess their own unique characteristics, including being confident but lacking ambition and motivation. However, in China, as noted above, students are expected to show respect and obedience, conformity to the group, and inner self-discipline (Hue & Li, 2008; Peng, 1993). The big difference in characteristics between Chinese students and female secondary school students in the UAE makes CFL teachers to feel unfamiliar with the teaching and managing context in the UAE.

4.2. Classroom management challenges

Around 89% of the CFL teachers surveyed stated that it is difficult or very difficult to manage classrooms of female secondary school students in the UAE (Figure 1), which supports the necessity and significance of this study. Several issues were identified by the teachers (Figure 2) and the students (Figure 3). The main issues are discussed below.

Figure 1. Teachers’ views on managing classrooms of female secondary school students in the UAE.

Figure 2. Teachers’ views on Chinese classroom management issues pertaining to all-girls secondary schools in the UAE compared to in other countries.Note: This figure shows the results related to a multiple-choice question. Teachers were able to select all issues they thought were more severe in the UAE compared to in other countries. Thus, the percentages represent the proportion of teacher participants who selected the issue.

Figure 3. Students’ views on Chinese classroom management issues pertaining to all-girls secondary schools in the UAE.Note: This figure shows the results related to a multiple-choice question. Students were able to select all issues they thought were prominent. Thus, the percentages represent the proportion of student participants who selected the issue.

4.2.1. Frequently entering and leaving the classroom

Sometimes teachers are obliged to allow students to leave the classroom to use the toilet, or see administrators, nurses, or other teachers. However, this situation frequently appears to get out of control: approximately 79% of teachers who participated in the survey thought that the issue is more serious in the UAE than in other countries (Figure 2). For example, one interviewee, Hu, stated the following:

Some students came late, then found an excuse to go outside of the classroom and never came back. Some just sat and chatted in the corridor outside the classroom. They refused to stay inside, even when the administrators came to reprimand them.

Li, another interviewee, shared another example:

Three students said the art teacher needed their help and gave me a note from the teacher. So I let them go. When I asked the teacher about this, she said she did not need the students, they just went to her. It turned out that some students just wanted to escape from the Chinese language lesson. They found a way to get out.

4.2.2. Being late to or absent from class

The findings reveal that the teachers believed lateness and absence to be highly challenging, and approximately 74% of teachers thought this issue was more prominent in the UAE than in other countries (Figure 2). About 47% of the students surveyed also stated that they consider this to be a serious management issue (Figure 3). One interviewee, Wang, stated:

Some students would not go to the class when they heard the bell rang, they wandered around in the school until they got bored.

Likewise, Hu commented:

Some students always came in the secondary of the class, instead of the beginning, while they had many excuses not to be on time, including going to the nurse and being in the toilet.

4.2.3. Talking out of turn

Talking out of turn indicates that students do not have a strong sense of the rules. Around 74% of teachers surveyed believed this issue to be more challenging in the UAE than in other countries (Figure 2). As Zhang stated in the interview:

Students would talk with each other before, after, or even when the teacher was talking. Some students would interrupt the teacher to ask questions. I told them so many times not to do that, but they still act in the same way.

Wang commented:

I had never experienced this kind of situation before in other countries in which most students talk out of turn, even the good ones. I think the students just loved to chat with friends without intending offence to the teachers.

Li shared her attitude about the problem as follows:

I was OK with those students who just wanted to take an active part in my lesson. However, I could not bear that some students just talked until the end of the class without learning anything.

4.2.4. Disrespecting the teacher

Another challenge pertaining to classroom management is disrespecting to the teacher. As Zhang stated in the interview,

Most female secondary school students in the UAE treat teachers as friends. This has both positive and negative impacts, since it enables students to communicate smoothly with teachers, but undermines respect for teachers when disagreements arise.

About 46% of students also considered this as a serious management issue (Figure 3). Hu shared her experience as follows:

I like to treat the students as friends to make the class more dynamic. But some students seemed not to recognize the boundary. Sometimes when I asked them to finish a task, they refused to do it. And they would argue with me if I insisted. Similar experiences happened, which made me feel no authority.

4.2.5. Coming to class without the right materials

Learning materials for CFL classes mainly comprise textbooks and notebooks. Surprisingly, teachers struggle with ensuring students are prepared for the class. Li stated the following:

Some students always forgot to bring their textbook and notebook. Even if they concentrated well during the class, they would forget the knowledge quickly without the materials.

Likewise, Zhang outlined:

Students who did not bring their textbook or notebook could not review the lesson after class. This would make their Chinese language skill worse.

Hu commented:

I think most students didn’t do this on purpose, they just needed to be reminded. However, some students didn’t bring the right materials because they had no interest in learning the Chinese language.

However, the teachers and students who participated in the survey shared very different opinions on some issues. For example, up to around 79% of the teachers and only about 26% of the students agreed “frequently entering and leaving the classroom” to be a serious classroom management issue, and up to around 74% of the teachers and only about 30% of the students considered that “talking out of turn” was a big issue (Figures 2&3). This means, while the CFL teachers regarded some behavior as issues, the students did not notice that they misbehaved. The teachers and the students have different boundaries of misbehaving. As Wang shared in the interview,

Chinese teachers may have high expectations on students’ learning and behaving, while the students may not have it on themselves. Sometimes, their no sense of rules makes them to be non-conscious of their misbehavior.

4.3. Reasons for classroom management issues

According to the results of the online survey completed by students, there are several reasons for the classroom management issues outlined above. Around 52% of students thought the main reason is that students have no interest in learning Chinese, while 34% of students believed that some students have no interest in learning anything (Figure 4). Because the students could choose more than one reason, so there is great possibility that some students who have no interest in learning anything also have no interest in leaning Chinese.

Figure 4. Students’ views on reasons for classroom management issues pertaining to all-girls secondary schools in the UAE.

4.4. Useful classroom management strategies

4.4.1. Official legislation and regulations

In 2018, the UAE Ministry of Education published legislation comprising regulations that should be applied to students from Grades 1 to 12 to promote positive behavior and create an effective and productive educational and learning environment (UAE Ministry of Education, 2018). The legislation covers two areas: outstanding behavior management and violating behavior management. Details are provided to describe outstanding behaviors and violations, respectively, along with steps teachers should take in each instance. As noted above, the CFL teachers and the female secondary school students in the UAE have different boundaries of misbehaving, which makes the official legislation and regulations important to define misbehavior.

However, the data analysis in the current study reveals that only around 53% of CFL teachers had ever heard of this legislation, meaning that 47% had not. As Wang stated during the interview:

I had not heard of this legislation until I had been working in my assigned school for one month. It is hard to build a new system of rules in the secondary of a term. Because students break most new rules. And it would take too much class time to manage, which leads to the exhaustion of the teacher and getting rid of the new system.

Meanwhile, according to the results of the online survey completed by students, almost 49% had heard of this legislation, while 51% had not. The low percentage of the teachers and students who had heard of this legislation demonstrates that training about classroom management for both teachers and students is not enough.

4.4.2. Effective language use

All of the respondent teachers used English to manage their classes, while some also used Chinese and Arabic (Figure 5). Chen shared her experience during the interview as follows:

I used Arabic, English, and Chinese to manage the class; mainly Arabic. It was more efficient to use students’ first language Arabic to manage the class when the students’ language level was low. However, it was not good for students’ language competency promotion to rely on my Arabic. I think as students’ Chinese language skills improved, I would use more Chinese to manage the classroom.

Figure 5. Language used by teachers of Chinese in all-girls secondary schools in the UAE.

As noted above, foreign language teachers can manage low-level students with their first language for their wakefulness of target language while manage high-level students with target language for developing their target language and increasing their respect for the teacher’s proficiency and their obedience (Kang, 2013). In this study, the students are low-level learners, who had better be managed by first language, which is Arabic. However, most CFL teachers could not speak Arabic, which leads to the unique context that the teachers use English to manage class.

4.4.3. Help from administrators

All-girls secondary schools in the UAE have several social workers. Each social worker is responsible for an entire grade. Teachers can call for social workers any time they need help in managing the class. Social workers use students’ native language (Arabic) to deal with management issues, which can be more efficient and effective than communicating in other languages.

Having a social worker solves several behavioral problems across entire grades, since teachers can ask the social worker to come to the class when the situation gets out of control. Around 84% of teachers stated that they called for help from a social worker when students were late or absent from their CFL class (Figure 6) or there were fights between students. Around 79% of the teachers called the social worker if students did not respect them. Social workers are also useful to limit talking out of turn or frequently entering and leaving the classroom. Zhang shared her experiences during the interview as follows:

I always needed the social worker to help me with the class, especially when students were late, absent, or out of control. However, the students would be good when the social worker came, and out of control again when she left. And it was not all the time that I could find the social worker.

Figure 6. Teachers’ strategies for dealing with student lateness or absence.

Chen had a similar problem:

The social worker method worked at first, but failed after a while because students did not get serious consequences from the social workers every time.

Social workers represent the administrations, including the school and MOE of the UAE. When the CFL teachers ask social workers for help, that means they would like the situation to be known by the administrations for recording or taking action. However, teachers who rely on administrators to solve all the management issues would fail, even lose the respect from the administrations and the students.

4.4.4. Building rapport between teachers and students

The teachers stated that they tried to build good relationships with their students in their own ways, especially at the beginning of the school year. Rapport between teachers and students is the basis of good teaching and learning. Many teachers also used this technique to solve classroom management issues. About 63% of CFL teachers tried to communicate with students and build rapport when students were late or absent (Figure 6). Teachers also used this method when students did not join in with the lesson or talked out of turn. Moreover, about 44% of students who participated in the online survey said that they liked teachers to manage classroom using this method (Figure 7). Zhang outlined a perfect example of how building rapport helps in managing the classroom:

At first, I shouted and yelled when students were talking out of turn all the time, even though it did not work. One day, I was confronted with the same problem, and I suddenly felt sorry for myself. So I produced a bitter smile. Students were quiet immediately because they were confused. I took the opportunity to talk with them about their thoughts about Chinese language class for the rest of the lesson. After that, they were much better than before. Then I understood the importance of rapport between the teacher and their students. I think it was because students could only study when they felt safe, and this was enhanced by building rapport.

Figure 7. Students’ preferences regarding how to solve classroom management issues.Note: This figure shows the results related to a multiple-choice question. Students were able to select as many options as they wished. Thus, the percentages represent the proportion of student participants who selected the issue.

4.4.5. Better reward and consequence system

The teachers highlighted the effectiveness of using a reward and consequence system to manage their class. Different teachers use different systems, because some students respond better to a rewards system, while others respond better to a consequence system. In addition, the system may vary based on the situation. Around 26% of student participants said they would like teachers to improve the reward system used to manage classroom, while 17% said they would like teachers to improve the consequence system (Figure 7). In addition, 53% of teachers said they used a reward system when students came to class without the right materials, while around 42% said they would use a consequence system in this context. About 58% said they would use a reward system when students did not take part in the class, while 37% would use a consequence system. However, teachers preferred a consequence system when students were late or absent. Li stated the following:

I had a thorough reward system for well-behaved students. As a result, some students became better and better behaved. But it did not work for all the students. There were some students who had not been rewarded even once. However, I did not often use a consequence system, because I did not want to break our rapport. Moreover, some students who got consequences, such as points taken off, would behave even worse.

4.4.6. Changes in teaching methods

Teachers’ teaching strategies should adapt to students, as classrooms ought to be student-centered. Around 65% of the teachers said they would change their teaching methods, including using differentiation, group work, and designing activities according to students’ interests, when students were talking out of turn or failing to participate. Similarly, about 44% of students said they like it when teachers change their teaching methods to solve classroom management issues (Figure 7). As stated by one interviewee, Shi:

All the responsible teachers have the motivation to change their teaching strategies to fit the class. Changing teaching methods is one of the easiest techniques teachers can do to solve some classroom management problems. I tried various methods to help students’ learning, such as adding Chinese character-writing activities and Chinese songs to class. However, students also should seek to avoid misbehaving in Chinese language class. Teachers and students need to work together to make the class successful.

5. Discussion and recommendations

5.1. CFL teachers’ professional development

Teacher training has become a top priority in many countries, including the UAE, where the preparation of well-qualified teachers is one of the eight pillars of the UAE’s educational development vision (Vision2021 (2017). At the beginning of September every year, new CFL teachers undertake professional development (PD) training from the UAE Ministry of Education before being assigned to a school. This is significant because “management skills and techniques are an essential part of teacher education, something every teacher should learn in their pre-service training and continue to acquire and improve in the process of professional practice” (Todorova & Ivanova, 2020, pp. 133–150). However, most of this training pertains to the teachers’ code of conduct. As a result, teachers initially have limited knowledge about how to manage and teach local classes.

In this study, the CFL teachers’ challenges and practices indicate an urgent need for them to learn from the legislation published by the UAE Ministry of Education (2018), especially before working in female secondary schools in the UAE. As long as the Chinese teachers take advantage of the materials offered by the Ministry of Education, they can take official steps to regulate students. In addition, students will become more disciplined if they know that their teacher is following official recommendations. At the same time, teachers should be trained in core teaching methods pertaining specifically to female secondary school students in the UAE so as to ensure effective teaching. For example, according to the characteristics of the female secondary school students in the UAE, CFL teachers should design classes with more Chinese language songs and games to arouse the students’ learning interests. As a result, teachers can improve their lesson planning, teaching methods, teaching tools, classroom management, and cooperation after the PD (El Afi, 2019). Such initiatives will also “help Chinese language teachers become effective intercultural language teachers” (Gong et al., 2018, pp. 224–233).

According to the results of the survey completed by students, the main reason for classroom management issues is that students have no interest in learning Chinese. This indicates that Chinese classes should be made more engaging. On the one hand, CFL teachers need to develop the ability to design their classes according to the characteristics of female secondary school students in the UAE, such as adding work in pairs or online games to lessons. Constant adjustment of teaching results in better teaching and learning; an example of this is given by Farrell (2003): First, the teacher connected and made a difference in students’ lives; second, he adjusted his management strategies when he encountered difficulties, and thought about the causes of problems. As the first year passed, the teacher began to cope better with his classes. As this example illustrates, teachers could improve through a process of trial and error, learning from experience, and storing up knowledge of critical experiences to use in teaching (Gkonou & Mercer, 2017). On the other hand, teachers need to be positive, humorous, kind, and respectful. That is, teachers’ personality will also be influential in students’ interest in learning, because teachers who are positive, humorous, happy, well-organized, supportive, and respectful of students are appreciated by their students (Jiang & Dewaele, 2019). As noted by Tong and Tsung (2020), “Chinese teachers are suggested to consider incorporating humor strategically in their teaching, which may contribute to learners’ long-term desire for language learning in China.”

In addition, CFL teachers should use as much Chinese as they can while managing the class. This will ensure students continue to develop their language skills while being managed and the teachers will maintain their authority.

5.2. Building rapport with students

As indicated above, female secondary school students in the UAE are sensitive. In order to manage classes with sensitive girls, CFL teachers should consciously build rapport with students from the beginning. As pointed out by Zhang, one of our interviewees, rapport can bring a sense of safety, which can facilitate students’ learning. The results of this study reveal that most CFL teachers try to build rapport with students to manage their class, and 44% of students like it when teachers do so. Thus, building rapport between teachers and students is a necessary and effective way to manage classes of female secondary school students in the UAE. This supports Yang et al.’s (2016, pp. 223–239) finding that “close bonds with teachers are associated with higher levels of interest in schoolwork.” It is also consistent with Soares’s (2007) perspective that building rapport and developing awareness-raising activities constitute an effective way to minimize behavior issues in the foreign language classroom.

Moreover, the study shows that some CFL teachers do not use a consequence system in order to avoid harming the rapport they have built. This is similar to findings of Rahimi and Hosseini (2012) study, which indicated that EFL teachers tend to use recognition and reward more often than punishment and aggression when dealing with classroom management problems. However, teachers should not hesitate to use a consequence system to manage students. Because students need effective classroom management just as much as teachers do, as students like to know what teachers expect of them in terms of behaviors and tests (Fowler & Şaraplı, 2010). Macías and Sánchez (2015) also emphasized the importance of establishing rules and reinforcing consequences for misbehavior in classroom management.

5.3. Avoiding getting frequent help from administrators

The findings of this study suggest that social workers in female secondary schools in the UAE play a very important role, because most teachers call for help from social workers if students are late to or absent from CFL classes. In addition, social workers can help when students are talking out of turn, failing to respect the teacher, or fighting. Moreover, it is necessary for the CFL teachers to acknowledge the administrations about some misbehavior of the students.

However, there is only one social worker for each grade, which makes it impossible for social workers to stay in one classroom for the whole period. Moreover, the impact of social workers does not last long; once the social worker leaves the class, students continue to misbehave. Finally, constantly calling for a social worker gives students the impression that the teacher has no ability to manage the class by themselves. As the findings indicate, the characteristics of female secondary school students in the UAE include having their own thoughts and their own views of their teacher and his or her teaching. Over time, students may come to doubt the teacher’s ability and authority, which will make the class harder to manage. Thus, it is important for CFL teachers to try to control the class by themselves, instead of calling for help all the time—that is, to avoid getting frequent help from administrators.

6. Conclusions

This study discussed the main issues faced by CFL teachers in managing students of all-girls secondary schools in the UAE. Using online surveys and interviews, teachers and students conveyed their opinions on how to solve classroom management issues. According to the results, recommendations were made regarding how CFL teachers can manage classes in order to enhance students’ learning.

Finally, in addition to the above-detailed implications for CFL teachers’ professional learning, the study has some limitations that indicate directions for further research. First, the number teachers and students sampled in this study is relatively small, at 57 and 188, respectively. In addition, all students were in grades 7–9, and the sample thus did not cover secondary grades. Future studies can incorporate a larger number of participants. Second, the official legislation for managing students’ behavior from the UAE Ministry of Education (2018) is in Arabic. This may have led to comprehension problems because Arabic is not the authors’ native language. Researchers who are native or fluent Arabic speakers can benefit from considering the legislation in future research. Third, the reasons for the highlighted issues were not discussed in detail. For example, the findings showed that around 52% of students thought the main reason was that students have no interest in learning Chinese, while 34% of students believed that some students have no interest in learning anything. It is likely that there are deeper causes, such as students’ economic resources or family structure. Future studies can consider the core reasons underlying the issues discussed here.

Acknowledgements

This paper would not have been possible without the help of the teachers and students who participated in the study. We would also like to thank the reviewers for their careful reading and valuable comments, which strengthened the paper considerably.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The authors received funding from Southwest University, China for this research.

Notes on contributors

Di Zhu

Di Zhu holds an M.Ed from Beijing Language and Culture University(BLCU). She has been working as a CFL teacher for more than 5 years in many countries, including United States, New Zealand, and United Arab Emirates. Her research interests include CFL teaching methods and Cross-cultural communication.

Jing Chi

Jing Chi holds an M.Ed from BLCU. She has been working as a CFL teacher for more than 3 years. Her research interest is Cross-cultural communication.

Jing Xu

Jing Xu holds an M.Ed from BLCU. She has been working as a CFL teacher for more than 6 years. Her research interest is CFL curriculum design.

Licheng Shen

Licheng Shen holds a PhD from Southwest University, China, and teaches Geology as a professor there. His main research directions are karstification and carbon cycle, quaternary geology, and isotope geology.

Appendix A

Questionnaire for Chinese as a Foreign language teachers working at female secondary schools in the United Arab Emirates on Chinese classroom management issues

(Please “√” the right answers for you.)

Personal information

• (1) Your gender is:

• male • female

• (2) Your age is:

• 20–30 • 31–40

• 41–50 • >50

• (3)Your major is:

• Teaching Chinese as a foreign language

• Chinese • English

• Arabic • other_________

• (4) How long have you been teaching Chinese as a foreign language at female secondary schools in the UAE?

• 1–3 years • 4–6 years

• 7–9 years • 10 years or more

• (5)Which grade do you teach? (multi-choices)

• 5^th Grade • 6^th Grade • 7^th Grade

• 8^th Grade • 9^th Grade • 10^th Grade

• 11^th Grade • 12^th Grade

• (6)How long had you been teaching Chinese as a foreign language at secondary schools in other countries?

• none • 1–3 years

• 4–6 years • 7–9 years

• 10 years or more

• (7)Do you accept follow-up interviews?

• yes (Please leave your name and contact information) _______________________

• no

Questionnaire on Chinese classroom management issues at female secondary schools in the UAE

• (8)Have you ever heard about the official regulations for managing students’ behavior (Ministerial Decision No. −851- Regarding the regulation of managing the behavior of students in public education institutions) published in 2018 by the Ministry of Education of the UAE and used it?

• yes • no

• (9)How do you think of Chinese classroom management at female secondary schools in the UAE?

• very easy • easy • fair

• difficult • very difficult

• (9)What language do you use to manage Chinese classroom at female secondary schools in the UAE? (multi-choices)

• Chinese • English

• Arabic • other________

• (10)Main Chinese classroom management issues at female secondary schools in the UAE compared to in other countries: (multi-choices)

• being late to or absent from class

• coming to class without the right materials

• frequently entering and leaving the classroom

• talking out of turn

• disrespecting teachers

• arguing or fighting between students

• not joining the class, including studying about other subjects, surfing on the internet, or sleeping)

• other: ___________________________________

• (11)Your useful strategies to “being late to or absent from class”: (multi-choices)

• changing the teaching methods, including using differentiation, group work, or engaging activities

• building rapport between teachers and students

• voting for a student leader for behavioral controlling

• creating better reward system

• creating better consequence system

• getting help from parents

• getting help from administrators

• other:_________________________________

• (12)Your useful strategies to “coming to class without the right materials”: (multi-choices)

• voting for a student leader for behavioral controlling

• creating better reward system

• creating better consequence system

• getting help from parents

• other:_________________________________

• (13)Your useful strategies to “frequently entering and leaving the classroom”: (multi-choices)

• changing the teaching methods, including using differentiation, group work, or engaging activities

• voting for a student leader for behavioral controlling

• creating better consequence system

• getting help from administrators

• other:_________________________________

• (14)Your useful strategies to “talking out of turn”: (multi-choices)

• changing the teaching methods, including using differentiation, group work, or engaging activities

• building rapport between teachers and students

• voting for a student leader for behavioral controlling

• creating better consequence system

• getting help from parents

• getting help from administrators

• other:_________________________________

• (15)Your useful strategies to “disrespecting teachers”: (multi-choices)

• building rapport between teachers and students

• creating better consequence system

• getting help from parents

• getting help from administrators

• other:_________________________________

• (16)Your useful strategies to “arguing or fighting between students”: (multi-choices)

• voting for a student leader for behavioral controlling

• creating better consequence system

• getting help from parents

• getting help from administrators

• other:_________________________________

• (17)Your useful strategies to “not joining the class”: (multi-choices)

• changing the teaching methods, including using differentiation, group work, or engaging activities

• building rapport between teachers and students

• voting for a student leader for behavioral controlling

• creating better reward system

• creating better consequence system

• getting help from parents

• getting help from administrators

• other:_________________________________

• (18)Your useful strategies to “other”: (multi-choices)

• changing the teaching methods, including using differentiation, group work, or engaging activities

• building rapport between teachers and students

• voting for a student leader for behavioral controlling

• creating better reward system

• creating better consequence system

• getting help from parents

• getting help from administrators

• other:_________________________________

Appendix B

Questionnaire for students at female secondary schools in the United Arab Emirates on Chinese classroom management issues

(Please “√” the right answers for you.)

• (19)Which grade are you in?

5 6 7 8 9 101,112

• (20)How long have you been learning Chinese?

• less than 1 year • 1–2 years

• 2–3 years • more than 3 years

• (21)Have you ever heard about the official regulations for managing students’ behavior (Ministerial Decision No. −851- Regarding the regulation of managing the behavior of students in public education institutions) published in 2018 by the Ministry of Education of the UAE?

(It tells teachers what should they do if students break the rules.)

• yes • no

• (22)What behavioral problems does your class have in Chinese classes? (multi-choices)

• being late to or absent from class

• coming to class without the right materials

• frequently entering and leaving the classroom

• talking out of turn

• disrespecting teachers

• arguing or fighting between students

• not joining the class, including studying about other subjects, surfing on the internet, or sleeping)

• other: ___________________________________

• (23)Why do you think the behavioral problems exist? (multi-choices)

• Students have no interest in learning anything.

• Students have no needs to learn anything.

• Students have no interest in learning Chinese.

• Students have no needs to learn Chinese.

• Parents do not care about learning.

• Parents do not care about learning Chinese.

• Students do not like the Chinese teacher.

• Chinese class is boring.

• There is too much work for other subjects.

• Physical problems.

• Other: ____________________

• (24)How would you like the problems be solved? (multi-choices)

• Teacher changes methods and techniques to teach Chinese, such as using differentiation, group work, and designing activities according to students’ interests.

• Teacher communicates more with students to build a closer relationship.

• Vote for a leader among the students for behavioral controlling.

• Teacher creates a better reward system.

• Teacher creates a better consequence system.

• Teacher works with parents.

• Teacher works with administrators.

• Other: ____________________

Appendix C

The interview guide for Chinese as a Foreign language teachers working at female secondary schools in the United Arab Emirates on Chinese classroom management

1. What do you think are the characteristics of female secondary school students in the UAE?

2. What’s your opinion and experiences on students “frequently entering and leaving the classroom”, “being late to or absent from class”, “talking out of turn”, “disrespecting teachers”, and “coming to class without the right materials”?

3. Have you ever heard about the official regulations for managing students’ behavior (Ministerial Decision No. −851- Regarding the regulation of managing the behavior of students in public education institutions) published in 2018 by the Ministry of Education of the UAE? What’s the impact on your classroom management?

4. What languages do you use to manage class? Do languages matter?

5. What’s your opinion and experiences on using these strategies: “getting help from administrators”, “building rapport between teachers and students”, “creating reward and consequence systems”, and “changing the teaching methods”?