Abstract

This study developed and evaluated the Context-Adaptive Learning Model (CALM), an instructional framework designed to strengthen Adaptive English Teaching Competency (AETC) among preservice English teachers in Thailand. The study employed a Research and Development (R&D) methodology across three phases, integrating both quantitative and qualitative data. Phase 1 surveyed 249 preservice teachers and 68 university supervisors from 16 universities in Northeastern Thailand. Priority Needs Index modified (PNImodified) analysis identified Classroom Management as the highest priority competency gap (PNImodified = 0.34), followed by Diagnostic Competency and Didactic Competency — findings that directly informed CALM's design. Phase 2 developed and validated CALM, a model comprising five competency dimensions and a six-step instructional syntax grounded in Contextual Teaching and Learning and Adaptive Teaching Competency theory. Expert validation yielded IOC values of 0.80-1.00 across all instruments. A PAOR action research try-out with 10 preservice teachers refined the model through four structural revisions before Phase 3 implementation. Phase 3 evaluated the finalized model with a new cohort of 10 preservice teachers using a one-group pretest-posttest design. All participants achieved the maximum assessment score (x̄ = 48.00, S.D. = 0.00) against a pretest mean of 35.60 (S.D. = 0.70), yielding a Relative Gain Score of 100%. Thematic analysis of 100 reflective teaching logs across both cohorts identified three convergent themes: deliberate contextualization of instruction, a progressive shift from teacher-fronted delivery to facilitation, and the development of analytical reflection-on-action. These quantitative and qualitative findings converge to confirm that CALM is an effective, reliable, and transferable model for bridging the policy-practice gap in Thai preservice English teacher education.

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