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Classroom management presents significant challenges for pre-service English teachers because they must manage student behavior, instructional communication, attention, and classroom activities while developing their teaching competence. This study aimed to examine the classroom management challenges experienced by pre-service English teachers during their teaching practicum in the Indonesian EFL context. A qualitative descriptive approach with a retrospective orientation was employed. The participants were seven pre-service English teachers from the English Education Department of UIN Sjech M. Djamil Djambek Bukittinggi, Indonesia, who had completed their Field Experience Practice (PPL) in 2025 at partner schools. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted from June to July 2026 and analyzed using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña. The findings revealed three main areas of classroom management challenges: behavioral challenges, communicating rules and procedures challenges, and attention and transition management challenges. The findings further indicated that these challenges were interconnected, as behavioral difficulties could affect students’ attention and instructional continuity, while unclear instructions could contribute to difficulties during classroom activities and transitions. The study highlights the need for teacher education programs to prepare pre-service English teachers to understand classroom management as an integrated competence within authentic Indonesian EFL teaching contexts.
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