This study is intended to understand teaching quality of English student teachers when they conduct their teaching practicum. Teaching quality is conceptualized based on the principles of effective teaching resulted by teacher effectiveness studies. Thes IRJE |Indonesian Research Journal in Education| |Vol. 5| No. 2|December|Year 2021| |E-ISSN: 2580-5711|https://online-journal.unja.ac.id/index.php/irje/index| 417 English Teachers’ Strategies in Managing Large Classes: A Case Study LENNY MARZULINA 1 , DIAN ERLINA* 2 , MUHAMMAD HOLANDYAH 3 , KASINYO HARTO 4 , DETA DESVITASARI 5 , AND DESSI ANGREINI 6 Abstract This study aimed at finding (1) English teachers’ strategies in managing large classes, and (2) students’ perceptions towards their English teachers’ strategies. The design of this research is qualitative with a case study approach. This study involved four English teachers and ten students at one state Madrasah Tsanawiyah in Palembang, Indonesia. The data were collected through observations, interviews, and document review. Thematic analysis was conducted across a data set. The findings demonstrated that planning the lesson, organizing and controlling the students, managing classroom communication and talking time, then giving written and timely feedback on students’ works were the strategies applied by the English teachers. The use of these strategies was positively perceived by the students that they could have a better understanding, practice mutual-respect, and enjoy the lesson. Therefore, it might be a good idea to review teachers’ strategies in this study to address the difficulty of teaching English in large class settings. Keywords English teachers’ strategies, classroom management, large classes, madrasah tsanawiyah 1 Faculty of Teacher Training and Education. State Islamic University of Raden Fatah, Palembang, Indonesia, lennymarzulina_uin@radenfatah.ac.id 2* Corresponding author and faculty of Teacher Training and Education. State Islamic University of Raden Fatah, Palembang, Indonesia, dianerlina_uin@radenfatah.ac.id 3 Faculty of Teacher Training and Education. State Islamic University of Raden Fatah, Palembang, Indonesia, muhammadholandyah_uin@radenfatah.ac.id 4 Faculty of Teacher Training and Education. State Islamic University of Raden Fatah, Palembang, Indonesia, Kasinyoharto_uin@radenfatah.ac.id 5 Faculty of Teacher Training and Education. State Islamic University of Raden Fatah, Palembang, Indonesia, detadesvitasari_uin@radenfatah.ac.id 6 Faculty of Teacher Training and Education. State Islamic University of Raden Fatah, Palembang, Indonesia, dessiangreini@gmail.com mailto:lennymarzulina_uin@radenfatah.ac.id mailto:dianerlina_uin@radenfatah.ac.id mailto:muhammadholandyah_uin@radenfatah.ac.id mailto:detadesvitasari_uin@radenfatah.ac.id mailto:dessiangreini@gmail.com IRJE |Indonesian Research Journal in Education| |Vol. 5| No. 2|December|Year 2021| |E-ISSN: 2580-5711|https://online-journal.unja.ac.id/index.php/irje/index| 418 Introduction English plays very important roles in many fields of human life. It can be used in education and business to get information, job, and entertainment (Reddy, 2016). Richards (2015) also adds that English may be required for social survival and employment for new immigrants in English-speaking countries, an essential tool for education and business for some learners, the language of travel and related activities of sightseeing for others, and a popular language for the media, entertainment, the internet and other forms of electronic communication. It can be concluded that English holds prominent functions in many aspects of human life. Learning English is essential for today’s generation to adapt to global communication, literature, media, and work in the present and future. Therefore, in Indonesia, English is included as a subject in the school curriculum. This is supported by Lie (2007) which states that English is taught and used as a foreign language in Indonesia. It is the first foreign language learned as a compulsory subject at school (Panggabean, 2015; Hingne, 2013) to widen the students’ understanding of English as a foreign language (Mahu, 2012, p. 374). Thus, English is the first foreign language officially taught as a compulsory subject to students from junior secondary school in Indonesia. In teaching English as a foreign language (EFL), teachers as the facilitators of student learning take a variety of roles within the classroom. One of the important roles of a teacher in the teaching and learning process is being a classroom manager (R. Marzano, J. Marzano & Pickering, 2003). As a classroom manager, a teacher should have a set of skills and techniques to create a positive and productive learning environment for the students (Habibi, Mukminin, Najwan, Sofwan, Haswindy, Marzulina, Sirozi, & Harto, 2018). Teachers cannot successfully teach their students if they are not in control of the class (Ababneh, 2012, p. 301; Low & Ang, 2011). The control of students by the teachers in the classroom tends to be regarded as the goal of classroom management (Gujjar & Naoreen, 2009). In summary, effective English teaching and learning cannot take place in a poorly managed classroom. Class size is one of the influential matters in managing the classroom. Moluayonge and Park (2017) argue that it can impact classroom management significantly. The size of a class may affect the teacher’s classroom management (Koenig, Gray, Lewis & Martin, 2015). It can make and influence the success or failure of classroom management. Class size relates to the number of students in a class. It refers to the actual number of students taught by a teacher (Ehrenberg, Brewer, Gamoran & Willms, 2001; Yusuf, Onifade & Bello, 2016). There is no exact size for small or large classes (Haddad, 2015). However, according to Brown (2001), for effective language learning, a class should have not more than twelve students. A classroom with too many students often presents some problems for the teacher, such as lack of individual teacher-student attention, fewer opportunities for students to speak, and insufficient teacher’s feedback on students’ written work. In addition, large class is usually hot, crowded, and noisy (Al-Obaydi & Al-Bahadli, 2017). It affects the teaching process and student academic performance. It also reduces effective classroom control (Yusuf, Onifade & Bello, 2016). To overcome the problems of a large class, teachers need to have strategies to improve students’ learning achievement with optimal classroom management. Several studies IRJE |Indonesian Research Journal in Education| |Vol. 5| No. 2|December|Year 2021| |E-ISSN: 2580-5711|https://online-journal.unja.ac.id/index.php/irje/index| 419 investigated pedagogical strategies that teachers used in teaching in large classes to create positive student-teacher interactions. Solis and Turner (2016) report that self-disclosure, caring leadership and making the class feel smaller are the strategies to promote positive instructions in large classes. Haddad (2015) claims that teachers should move around the class to reduce physical and social distance and help the students in learning. In short, strategies have to be used by teachers to resolve large class management problems. The problems of large classes are also faced by the English teachers at one of the State Islamic Junior High Schools (Madrasah Tsanawiyah) in Palembang. This school is also likely to have classes of large size. Based on our preliminary study results, a teacher had to teach 42 to 45 students in each class. It was really an overcrowded class and difficult for the teachers to control. The students were very noisy. Discomfort and lack of individual attention were the other problems in the class. However, the English teachers had their strategies to manage the classroom and make the students feel comfortable in learning. We conducted this research to know more detail about English teachers’ strategies in managing a large class and students’ perceptions of the strategies used by their English teachers in managing a large class. In specific, this research was aimed at; (1) exploring English teachers’ strategies in managing large classes and (2) exploring the students’ perceptions towards the strategies used by their English teachers. Literature Review Teaching English as a foreign language Teaching is a way to convey knowledge to students. Teaching may be defined as a process to help students learn how to do something and understand what knowledge is given (Brown, 2000). Likewise, the work of teaching includes broad cultural competence and relational sensitivity, communication skills, and the combination of rigour and imagination fundamental to students’ effective practice (Ball & Forzani, 2009). Thus, the students can get knowledge from the teaching process by the teacher. Teaching English is an important job (Baker & Westrup, 2000). The objectives of teaching English are basically related to the cognitive and psychomotor domain that the students can understand the English grammar, speak, read, and write English correctly (Hingne, 2013). Teaching English as a foreign language requires teachers to deliver the English language articulately and interestingly to encourage students to improve their English skills through listening, speaking, reading, and writing activities. The role of teacher in managing the class As the facilitator of student learning, a teacher takes on a variety of roles within the classroom. One of the most important roles of a teacher is being a classroom manager (Marzano, Marzano & Pickering, 2003). Richards and Rogers (2000) explain that the teacher is responsible for determining the content of what is taught, setting the interactional patterns of classroom activities, and keeping the students organized and focused on the lesson. This indicated the important role of a teacher in determining students’ success in learning (Habibi, IRJE |Indonesian Research Journal in Education| |Vol. 5| No. 2|December|Year 2021| |E-ISSN: 2580-5711|https://online-journal.unja.ac.id/index.php/irje/index| 420 Mukminin, Sofwan, & Sulistiyo, 2017). A teacher with strong classroom management can create an environment for students to learn and behave in new and different ways without distractions (Cooper, 2011; Copland, Garton & Burns, 2014). The ability of teachers to organize classroom and manage the behavior of their students is critical to achieving positive educational outcomes (Oliver & Reschsy, 2007). Effective learning can begin with the creation of an exciting learning atmosphere; therefore, classroom management is very important. In the teaching-learning process, the teacher has to give the students facilities to make the teaching-learning process easy, active, and more comfortable. Classroom management strategies Management refers to skill in the organization and presentation of lessons so that all pupils are actively engaged in learning (Smith & Laslett, 2002). Classroom control and classroom discipline are the most commonly used concepts to refer to classroom management during teaching (Merç & Subaşɪ, 2015). Management strategy is a way that is applied by the teacher in the classroom with various aspects and goals to get an achievement in the learning process. According to Eisenman, Edwards and Cushman (2015), the management strategy is to redirect the student back to the lesson to not interrupt all students learning. By this definition, management strategy focuses on the process of learning goal setting, policy development and planning to achieve objectives. It can control the aim of learning itself. Classroom management is what teachers do to ensure that students engage in the task in hand (Wragg, 2002). Moreover, Cooper (2011) states that classroom management refers to the actions teachers take to create an environment that is respectful, caring, orderly and productive and supports and facilitates academic and social-emotional learning. The ability of teachers to organize classrooms and manage the behavior of their students is critical to achieving positive educational outcomes (Oliver & Reschsy, 2007). Effective learning can begin with creating an exciting learning atmosphere; therefore, classroom management is clearly very important and needs serious attention (Tauber, 2007). The teachers should apply appropriate strategies to manage their classroom so that content and student learning can occur. Large classes The definition of large classes may differ in different contexts. According to UNESCO (2006), in some countries, 25-30 students per teacher is considered large, while in other countries, this is seen as normal or even quite small (as cited in Trang, 2015, p. 76). At the same time, Brown (2001) emphasizes that for language learning, a class is considered large when it has more than a dozen of students. This implies that the class occupied by more than twelve students can lead to some difficulties in dealing with individuals in the classroom. The teachers often perceive large classes as troublesome, difficult, and problematic as compared to smaller classes. The large classes have more students than available facilities can support (Ara & Hossain, 2016). Trang (2015) argues that teaching in such large classes is really a burden to teachers. They ind it difficult to engage the students in learning, and learners can feel that it is hard to participate in classroom activities. It means IRJE |Indonesian Research Journal in Education| |Vol. 5| No. 2|December|Year 2021| |E-ISSN: 2580-5711|https://online-journal.unja.ac.id/index.php/irje/index| 421 that in a large class, both teacher and student can face challenges. Baker and Westrup (2000) describe the challenges encountered by the teachers and students in large English classes. The challenges are the difficulty of teachers in keeping everyone’s attention, lack of students’ motivation in learning English, the difficulty of students in hearing the teacher explanation, lack of opportunity of teachers in helping weaker students, attendance can be poor and irregular, leading to lack of continuity, time-consuming in taking the register, teachers can have too much marking to do, and few resources to make learning interesting. Teachers’ strategies in teaching English in large classes In teaching large classes, teachers should prepare some strategies to deal with various students with different abilities and personalities and provide them with the opportunity to achieve the learning objectives. Some researchers have conducted studies about English teachers’ strategies in managing large classes. Solis and Turner (2016) investigated teachers’ pedagogical strategies to create positive student-instructor interactions to counter students and instructors’ challenges. They reported that several strategies like self-disclosure, caring leadership, and making the class feel smaller have positive implications for the students’ learning performance. In addition, Baker and Westrup (2000) mentioned that the teachers’ strategies in managing large classes such as (1) planning, (2) classroom management (3) organization, (4) group and pair work, (5) teacher talk consist of balancing teacher and student talking time, giving clear instructions, reasons for using the students’ first language in the classroom, using consistent language, questioning techniques, (6) managing classes with mixed abilities that are dealing with weak, average and stronger students, (7) correction and marking, (8) marking and self-evaluating. These strategies are required for successful large class handling. Methodology Research design, participants, and locale of the study In this study, we used a qualitative research design with a case study approach. Case study is one of the approaches used to investigate an issue that happens in one place. Creswell (2007) explains that a case study is the study of an issue explored through one or more cases within the bounded system or multiple bounded systems over time, through detailed, in-depth data collection involving multiple sources of information. We used this approach because the major data collections were in the form of qualitative data to find out strategies of English teachers in managing a large class and perceptions of students on strategies used by their English teachers. Additionally, a qualitative case study was used in this study because the findings of this study might not be generalized to the other state Islamic Junior High Schools (Madrasah Tsanawiyah) in Indonesia. In selecting the participants of this study, we used a purposeful sampling technique. We relied on our judgment in choosing the teachers and students to participate in this study. Purposeful sampling is the way researchers intentionally select individuals for study (Creswell, 2012). This research used a maximum variation sampling strategy to develop many IRJE |Indonesian Research Journal in Education| |Vol. 5| No. 2|December|Year 2021| |E-ISSN: 2580-5711|https://online-journal.unja.ac.id/index.php/irje/index| 422 perspectives (Creswell, 2012) and identify important common patterns (Creswell, 2007). Our research participants consisted of four English teachers and ten students at one state Madrasah Tsanawiyah in Palembang, Indonesia. Qualitative research does not need to have a large number of participants (Creswell, 2014). Therefore, the participants were selected because they were likely to generate useful data for this research. The English teachers were selected based on a set of characteristics. They had to possess a degree in English language education and have been teaching English for at least five years as an important attribute of teacher quality (Jacobs, Gregory, & Hoppey, 2009). The students were selected solely based on the teachers’ experience with their classes. We masked the participants’ real names and personal data to protect their identities, and we informed all participants regarding this issue. Thus, the names of all research participants were initials. Data collection and analysis Interviews, observations with note-taking, and document review were employed to collect the research data. Note-taking during observations is necessary to support the data from interviews (Abrar, Mukminin, Habibi, Asyrafi, Makmur, & Marzulina, 2018). The observation sheet consisted of seven indicators about teachers’ classroom management strategies adapted from Baker & Westrup’s theory (2000, p. 106). Each indicator consisted of several items with a total of 24 items to identify English teachers’ strategies in managing large classes. Direct observations were conducted in each classroom to get field evidence. Then, each participant was interviewed to obtain information about teachers’ strategies in managing large classes and students’ perceptions towards those strategies. We applied one-on-one interviews with open-ended questions. We recorded all interviews by using a smartphone. We also reviewed several documents such as teacher’s lesson plans and course books for additional information. The data gained from the observation and interview were analyzed by using thematic analysis to determine information about the English teachers’ strategies in managing large classes and students’ perceptions of the strategies used by their English teachers in managing large classes. First, we prepared, organized, and read the data from observations and interviews. In this process, we read all transcriptions and coded the data related to this study’s research questions. Then, we used the coding process to generate a description from the data. We made themes from the code that interconnects the themes. Interconnecting themes mean that the researcher connects the themes to display a chronology or sequence of events when qualitative research generates a theoretical or conceptual model (Creswell, 2012). Lastly, we made personal interpretations from the themes and codes as the final summary of this research concerning the research questions. Ethical considerations In this research, we used triangulation to validate the accuracy of our research finding gained from data collection. Triangulation is a corroborated evidence process by different individuals (Creswell, 2012). Subsequently, there are six techniques of triangulation such as investigator triangulation, combined level triangulation, methodological triangulation, theoretical triangulation, time triangulation, and space triangulation (Cohen, Manion, & IRJE |Indonesian Research Journal in Education| |Vol. 5| No. 2|December|Year 2021| |E-ISSN: 2580-5711|https://online-journal.unja.ac.id/index.php/irje/index| 423 Morrison, 2007). We applied a technique of methodological triangulation in this study in which we used a different method on the same object study to obtain more comprehensive data and provide confirmation of findings. Thus, the data from observations were confirmed by the data from interviews and vice versa. Finally, those data we combined to corroborate each other to enhance our understanding of English teachers’ strategies in managing large classes and students’ perceptions f their English teachers’ strategies. Findings The research findings answered the two research questions of this study; (1) What were the English teachers’ strategies in managing large classes at one State Madrasah Tsanawiyah in Palembang?, and (2) What were the students’ perceptions on the strategies used by their English teachers in managing large classes at one State Madrasah Tsanawiyah in Palembang? English teachers’ strategies in managing large classes Based on the results of data analysis, we found that English teachers in managing large classes used several strategies. Themes and codes gained from the thematic analysis can be seen in Table 1. Table 1. Themes and codes of English teachers’ strategies in managing large classes Themes Codes 1. Planning the lesson a. All of the teachers prepared lesson plan before teaching. b. Most of them prepared their course books to add the materials in the textbook. c. They also used other English learning sources such as other printed materials, videos, and songs. 2. Organizing and controlling the students a. All of the teachers set their own classroom rules; for example, dictionary use in learning the words, rewards and punishments for better learning motivation, and classroom discipline practices in learning. b. Some of them changed the students’ seating arrangement to control learning distractions and maintain students’ learning engagement. c. Some of them moved around the classroom to give individual learning attention or assistance and make them accessible to all the students. d. Most of them attempted to remember the names of students in the class. 3. Managing classroom communication and talking time a. All of the teachers used both English and Indonesian language to communicate with their students to avoid misunderstandings. b. All of them delivered the lesson with clear instructions. c. All of them encouraged the students to ask questions about the lesson to ensure their understanding of the materials. 4. Giving written and timely feedback a. Some of the teachers marked and corrected students’ works to help them improve their works. b. One of them provide examples of what requires revisions and return the works timely to the students. IRJE |Indonesian Research Journal in Education| |Vol. 5| No. 2|December|Year 2021| |E-ISSN: 2580-5711|https://online-journal.unja.ac.id/index.php/irje/index| 424 The themes and codes described in table 1 above were explained as follows. Based on the data obtained from observations and interviews, we found that one of English teachers’ strategies in managing large classes was associated with the scheme of teacher’s work. In this case, the teachers prepared lesson plans and course books before teaching to list the structure for a lesson. The data gained from the interview, the first English teacher (ET1) said, “I prepare everything necessary before teaching.” Meanwhile, ET2, ET3, and ET4 also shared similar answers. They explained that their lesson plans helped them teach as they provided the outline of the learning objectives and means to accomplish them with specific English classroom activities. They described that they prepared course books for teaching. They also used other sources of English language learning. For example, ET2 stated, “To complete my explanation, I use my course book and other sources such as other printed materials, videos, and songs to add the materials which are not available in the textbook.” ET1 and ET4 also supported this by providing similar information. In organizing and controlling the classroom, the teachers set classroom rules, managed the students’ seating arrangement, moved around the classroom, and remembered students’ names. All English teachers set their own classroom rules. For example, the students have to use a dictionary in learning unfamiliar words. One of the teachers named ET1 said, “Yes, I always ask my students to bring and use a dictionary to learn the correct spelling, pronunciation, and definition of the unfamiliar word.” Moreover, ET2, ET3, and ET4 expressed the same information. Besides, ET4 stated, “I will give punishment to the students when they have spelling errors if they do not bring dictionary, do not do their homework, or if they do not come to the class on time. The punishment will educate them as well as beneficial to students, such as; they have to memorize some words or write learning reports.” Meanwhile, ET1 also had a similar opinion. From observations, we found that some English teachers asked their students who did not bring the dictionary, and the students spontaneously lifted the dictionary up to show their teacher that they had the dictionary. For instance, the teacher assigned the students who did not bring a dictionary to come forward and memorize some English words; once they had finished the assignment well, the teacher gave them applause and appreciation for their efforts in learning. Also, they made students disciplined in classroom. They asked their students to be neat and wear tidy school uniforms, come to class on time, not eat, chat, and disturb other students during the lesson. IRJE |Indonesian Research Journal in Education| |Vol. 5| No. 2|December|Year 2021| |E-ISSN: 2580-5711|https://online-journal.unja.ac.id/index.php/irje/index| 425 Incorporating explanation and movement during the class was another strategy applied by the teachers in managing large classes. They assumed that their students who were at the back seating position might not have attention. For example, one of teachers ET4 reflected that, “In large class, I always give attention to all of my students by moving around the classroom. Sometimes, the students are talking to each other during the lesson, so it is important for me to move around to control my students.” Subsequently, we asked them the purpose of moving around the classroom, a teacher, ET4 said, “I do that so all of my students could see and listen to my explanation clearly.” Besides, ET1 also argued that, “Moving around the classroom allows me to see and help my students in learning, instead of just explaining the lesson from my desks.” We found that when the students made a noise during the lesson, the teacher walked towards them and rearranged their seating arrangement to maintain their learning engagement. We also found that English teachers attempted to remember their students’ names in checking students’ attendance by calling their names. For instance, one of the English teachers ET2 said, “Teaching in large class can be easier when I remember the names of students; I could call and ask the student easily and quickly without wasting time to look at the attendance list.” Meanwhile, the teachers, ET3 and ET4, also explained that calling students by their names could indicate respect and make the students feel recognized as individuals in a large class. Managing classroom communication was also the strategy used by the English teachers in managing large classes. They used both English and Indonesian language to communicate with their students to avoid misunderstandings. For example, one of the teachers named ET3 stated, “In teaching English, I cannot use full English because the students cannot understand it well. I use English when the words or sentences are simple and familiar to the students. Sometimes, I use English first and then I translate them into Indonesian.” We observed that when the teacher delivered the materials in English, the students seemed difficult to understand, and they just stayed silent, but when the teacher used Indonesian, most of the students showed reactions and gave responses such as nodding their heads, giving comments or asking questions. Managing talking time was also a means of communication management by the teachers during the lesson. Talking and questioning were viewed as key to helping the students learn and practice their English. One of the teachers, ET3 told, IRJE |Indonesian Research Journal in Education| |Vol. 5| No. 2|December|Year 2021| |E-ISSN: 2580-5711|https://online-journal.unja.ac.id/index.php/irje/index| 426 “I explain the materials in front of the class to make my students understood the lesson easily.” In addition, ET2 also argued that, “I have a target for students to make them speak in the classroom. So, the talking time between teacher and student must be balance, such as I encourage the students to speak about the lesson which has already been explained from the simple thing around them in the classroom. If I spend the whole lesson talking, my students will have less opportunity to learn and practice communication.” English teachers used the questioning technique to have the students talk. For example, ET4 said, “When I have explained the subject matter, I ask the students if they have some questions. If there is no question from the students, I will ask them some questions related to my explanation.” Marking and correcting students’ works could help students recognize, diagnose, and revise their assignments. Some of the English teachers marked and corrected all the students’ works. English teachers named ET2 answered, “Although my class consists of many students, I always check my students’ works, mark their mistakes, give the right answers on their works, and return the works timely and ask them to correct their mistakes.” This indicated that the teachers realized that their written feedback on students’ assignments was important to enable the students to evaluate and improve their works. Students’ perceptions of the teachers’ strategies in managing large classes Referring to the results of data analysis, we found that the majority of the students positively perceived the strategies used by their English teachers in managing large classes. Themes and codes gained from the thematic analysis were described in Table 2. IRJE |Indonesian Research Journal in Education| |Vol. 5| No. 2|December|Year 2021| |E-ISSN: 2580-5711|https://online-journal.unja.ac.id/index.php/irje/index| 427 Table 2. Themes and codes of students’ perceptions on their English teachers’ strategies in managing large classes Themes Codes 1. Enhancing the understanding of the lesson a. The majority of the students understand the lesson when the teachers explained the materials in two languages, English and Indonesian. b. Most of them understand the lesson when the teachers explained the materials in a simple and concise manner. c. All the students understand the lesson when the teachers explained the materials in a loud voice. 2. Practicing mutual respect a. Some students obeyed the classroom rules because they do not want to disturb their friends. b. Some other students obeyed the classroom rules because they respect their teachers. 3. Creating learning Comfort a. Most of the students were comfortable when their teacher approached them to provide individual attention and assistance in learning. b. Some of them were enjoyed learning English with their friends in several types of seating arrangements. In the learning process, teachers used some strategies to make students understand and be interested in the lesson. For example, they used two languages in teaching, English and Indonesia. They used English at the beginning of the lesson to motivate the students to practice their English and activate their background knowledge related to the materials to study. Then, for further explanation, the teachers mostly talked in Indonesian. Most of the students claimed that they could understand the materials when their English teachers explained in two languages, English and Indonesian. For example, the students named CTQ claimed, “I do not understand my teacher’s explanation when she (ET4) speaks English too much.” Meanwhile, Other students with initial OE, AA, AR, ICA, MZ and DA shared similar opinions. In addition, one student, OE, also said, “I just keep quiet when our English teacher (ET1) mostly talks in English. I can respond to her explanation when she translated into Indonesian.” Moreover, other students with initial AA, CM, and ARL gave similar answers. Most of the students said that it was easier for them to understand the lesson if the teacher explained the lesson simply and concisely. For example, one student named AA said that, “My English teacher (ET2) gives a brief explanation and clear example of the lesson. I can understand the lesson with her example and explanation, and then I directly do the exercise given.” Another student, AR, also gave a similar answer. Meanwhile, the student named CTQ stated that, “When my English teacher (ET1) explains a lesson in a loud voice, I can focus on her explanation.” Other students OE and AK shared similar information. On IRJE |Indonesian Research Journal in Education| |Vol. 5| No. 2|December|Year 2021| |E-ISSN: 2580-5711|https://online-journal.unja.ac.id/index.php/irje/index| 428 the other hand, the students with initial ICA argued that, “My English teacher’s (ET3) sometimes speaks in a soft voice, I find it difficult to understand her explanation, especially when the class is noisy.” Other students also supported this opinion. The relationship between students and teachers in the classroom was established with mutual respect. Students listened to the teacher and obeyed the classroom rules. Based on the results of interviews, we found that the students could learn mutual-respect of others from the rules of the class. Student AR claimed that, “We have to obey the rules by our English teacher (ET1); for example we may not come late to the class, have to bring our dictionary, and be polite to others.” Another student, AA described, “When I come late to class, I might disturb my teacher and friends, so it is better to come early.” Other students named CM, DA and ARL gave a similar answer. We found that the students felt comfortable learning English in the classroom. The data gained from the interview, students named AA stated, “My English teacher (ET2) always moves around the classroom and approaches individual students, so I can easily ask her if I do not understand the lesson.” The student with initial AR said similar thing. The students enjoyed learning English in several types of seating arrangements such as circle, semicircle, horseshoes, and groups of four or five. The student named CTQ argued that, “I enjoy learning English with my friends in a circle or semicircle seating arrangement as we can see each other, talk, and move easily during learning activities.” Other students, ICA, MZ, and OE, also shared similar opinions. Discussion In managing large classes, the teachers conducted several classroom management strategies. All of the English teachers claimed that they used the lesson plan strategy to manage the large class. The teacher used this lesson plan as a guide in determining what and how the lesson will be taught as well as how learning will be evaluated. Lesson plans also enable teachers to manage large classes effectively with a detailed outline of teaching and learning activities during the class. Weinstein and Mignano (2007) state that lesson plan is an important aspect that must do by the teachers. Also, good classroom management starts with planning the course book and syllabus (Baker & Westrup, 2000). In this research, most of the teachers prepared their course books and used other sources of English learning sources such as other printed materials, videos, and songs, to add the materials in the textbook. Another strategy used by the English teachers in managing large classes was organizing and controlling the classroom. The actions related to organizing classroom management strategy were remembering students’ names, moving around, setting classroom rules, and using the appropriate seating arrangement. According to Baker and Westrup (2000), the best way to maintain control and discipline is to memorize and use students’ names. Solis and Turner (2016) emphasize that moving around the classroom enables the teacher to get closer to the students, allowing them to know their problems in learning English. They explained the same material to all of their students, but sometimes they gave more attention to the weak students. Haddad (2015) argued that teachers move towards IRJE |Indonesian Research Journal in Education| |Vol. 5| No. 2|December|Year 2021| |E-ISSN: 2580-5711|https://online-journal.unja.ac.id/index.php/irje/index| 429 students to reduce physical and social distance among them. Besides, the seating arrangement is pivotal for classroom control and management, interaction, socialization, and ease of teaching. The seating arrangement should match the activity (Wannarka & Ruhl, 2008). Baker and Westrup (2000) also explain that classroom rules are necessary to establish good discipline. Managing classroom communication and talking time was done by the teachers in managing large classes. Classroom communication exists for giving and receiving messages through verbal and nonverbal languages. Effective communication makes learning easier and strengthens the connection and interaction among people in the classroom (Shamossi, 2014). Therefore, the teachers used both English and Indonesian language to communicate with their students to provide clear instruction and avoid misunderstandings. Subsequently, managing the talking time was also the strategy used by the English teachers. To make the talking time balanced, the English teachers explained the materials simply and concisely and then asked several questions to the students to respond. They also encouraged the students to ask questions about the lesson to ensure their understanding of the materials. This was supported by Baker and Westrup (2000), who reported that students need opportunities for speaking practice and the best way to learn to communicate, is to speak. Marking and correcting students’ works was another strategy applied by the English teachers to help students revise their assignments. Some of the English teachers marked and corrected all the students’ works. Students can learn from their mistakes, will make fewer mistakes in the future, and think about what they have written (Baker and Westrup, 2000). Therefore, the teacher’s written feedback on students’ assignments was important to enable the students to improve their works. Effective written feedback provides students with an explanation, example, and suggestion of what they are doing well and what requires improvement. This also needs to be timely and understandable to the student to make the revisions. The majority of the students positively perceived the strategies used by their English teachers in managing large classes. They found that the strategies were helpful for them in learning English. They could have better understanding, practice mutual-respect and enjoy the lesson. Additionally, it was obvious that the students respected and obeyed their teachers and the classroom rules. Listening to and respecting the teachers is important for students to realize knowledge and attitude (Wilhelm and Pei, 2008). This indicated that teachers’ strategies could create a good learning atmosphere for the students. Conclusion English teachers in managing large classes used several strategies. The strategies were planning the lesson, organizing and controlling the students, managing classroom communication and talking time, giving written and timely feedback on students’ works. The majority of the students positively perceived towards the strategies used by their English teachers in managing large classes. They found that the strategies were helpful for them in learning English. These perceptions should be considered a determinant of students’ attitudes towards learning and reflect teachers’ teaching practices in large classes. 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S & Pei, B. C. (2008). University teachers and students’ perceptions of EFL methodologies and their effectiveness. Gema Online Journal of Language Studies, 8(2), 79-102. Wragg, E. C. (2002). Class management in primary school. New York, NY: Routledge Falmer. Yusuf, T. A., Onifade, C. A & Bello, O. S. (2016). Impact of class size on learning behavioral and general attitudes of students in secondary schools in Abeokuta, Ogun State Nigeria. Journal of Research Initiatives, 2(1), 1-16. Biographical Notes LENNY MARZULINA, M.Pd. is an associate professor at Faculty of Teacher Training and Education. State Islamic University of Raden Fatah, Palembang, Indonesia. Dr. DIAN ERLINA is an associate professor at Faculty of Teacher Training and Education. State Islamic University of Raden Fatah, Palembang, Indonesia. MUHAMMAD HOLANDYAH, M.Pd. is an assistant professor at Faculty of Teacher Training and Education. State Islamic University of Raden Fatah, Palembang, Indonesia. KASINYO HARTO, Prof. Dr. is a full professor at Faculty of Teacher Training and Education. State Islamic University of Raden Fatah, Palembang, Indonesia. DETA DESVITASARI is a lecturer at Faculty of Teacher Training and Education. State Islamic University of Raden Fatah, Palembang, Indonesia. DESSI ANGREINI is a student at Faculty of Teacher Training and Education. State Islamic University of Raden Fatah, Palembang, Indonesia.