‘I want to, but I can’t’: incongruences between Chinese language teachers’ cognition and practices of classroom management

The study examines K-8 Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) teachers’ cognition and practices on classroom management (CM) with a focus on the exploration of the incongruences between the two. Foreign language CM in K-8 settings in the U.S. and how language teachers believe, think and do in class has been a vital component in the world language education field but has been under-investigated. This study aims to fill this gap. Data were collected from six CFL teachers originally from mainland China or Taiwan in a U.S. K-8 school via semi-structured interviews, classroom observations and stimulated recall interviews. Results reveal that the incongruences between teachers’ cognition and practices exist in four dimensions of CM: time, space, engagement and participation. Drawing on activity theory, the study identifies contributing factors, such as school administrative policies, challenges in intercultural communication, overwhelming responsibilities and concerns related to employment and immigration status. These factors, rather than cultural expectations alone, significantly limit teachers’ ability and willingness to align practice with cognition. The study offers implications for teacher training programs and policy initiatives aiming to support classroom management effectiveness among CFL teachers in U.S. schools.