DIRECTIVE SPEECH ACTS OF PRE-SERVICE INDONESIAN LANGUAGE TEACHERS IN CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT: A CASE STUDY IN PRIMARY EDUCATION

Abstract

This study aims to comparatively analyze the types and functions of directive speech acts employed by male and female pre-service Indonesian language teachers within classroom management contexts at the primary education level. Utilizing a qualitative case study design, data were derived from transcribed teaching practice videos documented on YouTube and subsequently validated by experts in applied linguistics. Data analysis followed the interactive model proposed by Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña. The findings reveal distinct gender-based patterns: male pre-service teachers predominantly utilize instructive-focused directives characterized by directness and procedural clarity to establish classroom structure and authority. Conversely, female pre-service teachers more frequently employ persuasive, collaborative, and mitigative strategies (involvement-focused), leveraging positive politeness markers to foster voluntary student participation. These patterns illustrate how gender identity shapes the exercise of linguistic authority in primary classroom dynamics. The study concludes that effective classroom management does not rely on a singular communicative style but rather on teachers’ pragmatic flexibility in balancing instructional firmness with interpersonal sensitivity.