Paper Title
Investigating The Preparation of Complex Problem-Solving Activities to Teach Thai Grammar to Lower Secondary Students: A Lens of Pre-Service Teachers in Thailand

Abstract
Thai grammar is a compulsory subject offered to elementary and secondary school students in Thailand according to the 2008 Basic Education Core Curriculum. However, pre-service teachers found it difficult to improve their students’ skills required for solving problems in the Thai grammar classroom. The aim of this research is to investigate pre-service teachers’ perspectives on the preparation of complex problem-solving activities to teach Thai grammar to lower secondary students. Research participants consisted of 12 pre-service teachers who were undertaking field experience in different secondary schools in Bangkok, Thailand. The participants were invited to share ideas in a focus group discussion. Qualitative research data were analysed and interpreted through a thematic analysis procedure. The results showed that the preparation of teaching Thai grammar was considered in association with the understanding of Thai grammar concepts, considering students’ prior knowledge and experience and pre-service teachers’ abilities to create complex problem-solving activities. Although the pre-service teachers had pedagogical knowledge and experience, they still struggled to design appropriate complex problem-solving activities for students regarding the practical application of Thai grammar in different communication contexts. One of the limitations of the research was that the participants were unrepresentative of pre-service teachers in Thailand. Hence, the results may be limited to generalise to other teacher training contexts. Future studies matching Thai teachers’ grammar teaching styles with secondary school students’ learning styles could be considered. Keywords - Teaching Thai Grammar, Complex Problem-solving Activities, Pre-service Teachers