| This study aims to identify the problems faced by English Language Education students in designing lesson plans. Based on previous studies by Sahin-Taskin (2017) and Gülten (2013), pre-service teachers often struggle in designing effective lesson plans, especially in determining learning objectives, selecting appropriate activities, and managing time and sequence of activities. This study used mixed methods with a questionnaire as the main instrument to collect data related to the challenges faced in designing lesson plans. The questionnaire consisted of two parts: closed-ended questions that measured several indicators such as learning objectives, student activities, teaching methods, instructions, sequence of materials, time management, teaching materials, and assessment, and open-ended questions that further explored the challenges in each aspect. The subjects of this study were students from the 2018, 2019, and 2020 batches of Atma Jaya Catholic University's English Education Study Programme who have undergone or are currently undergoing Teaching Assistantship and Internship in the 2023/2024 academic year. The results showed that eight out of nine aspects studied experienced significant difficulties, such as learning objectives, student activities, teaching methods, instructions, teaching sequence, time management, teaching materials, and assessment. However, the aspect of learning aids was not a major obstacle, which indicates that students can utilize learning aids quite well. The findings provide insights for further development of training and mentoring for prospective EFL teachers in designing effective lesson plans. |