Pre-service teachers’ investments in English and construction of professional identity in the Indonesian context

Abstract

This study explored the pre-service teachers (PSTs) professional identity construction during their teacher education training at a private university in Central Java, Indonesia. It particularly investigated their understanding of the teaching profession and their professional identity, guided by two research questions: 1) what have been the influential aspects of the Indonesian pre-service teachers’ investment in the teaching profession? and 2) what professional identities do the PSTs (re)construct during their teacher education training? A qualitative case study was adopted as the design of this study. Data of this study were collected using an open-ended questionnaire and in-depth semi-structured interviews. Participants of this study are eleven PSTs of a private university in Central Java. The obtained data were analyzed by using the theoretical grounding of situated learning, professional identity, and investments. An interpretive approach and thematic analysis were adopted in coding and analyzing the PSTs’ open-ended questionnaire responses and narrative accounts obtained from the interviews. It is found that most aspects of PSTs’ construction of professional identity are their continuous learning participation and contemplation during their training in the English teacher education (ETE) program and their dynamic inner dialogue with their two selves (i.e. the student-self and the teacher-self) during the teaching practicum at school. These influential aspects lead to the emerging professional identity of the PSTs as caring, motivational, pleasant, and empathetic teachers. This result implies the need to emphasize the acquisition of teacher identity and reflective teaching at the heart of teacher education.

Student-teacher conferences and video-recorded microteaching sessions in developing pre-service teachers' teaching competences

“…Mete (2020) reveal that English-language teaching videos could be employed as an effective educational tool to foster critical thinking skills. In addition, Nue and Manara (2022) find that pre-service teachers displayed a dynamic view of professional identity by showing a variety of subjective engagement, emotionalism, practice, and transformation, but they needed time to grow (Yusuf et al, 2017). It indicates that to be professional, pre-service teachers need to have critical thinking and understand their identity as future teachers, and videos helped them understand their quality in teaching.…”

“…These competencies are crucial to empower preservice teachers with adequate knowledge before they become in-service teachers. The issues of competences are the focus of English Education Departments to prepare skillful English teachers for the future, but it is a complex process (Kim, 2019;Nue & Manara, 2022). Ismail and Jarrah (2019) claim that preparing skillful, competent, and motivated teachers equipped with all the fundamental pedagogical and content knowledge and language proficiency has become a challenging priority in many countries.…”

Preservice Teachers’ Reflections on English Teaching Practicum for Professional Development: A Bibliometric Analysis

“…Hence, in countering the practice of teacher professional development process for the future (Safari & Davaribina, 2021), PSTs get the chance to develop reflection skills supported by teacher mentors and teacher educators. Reflection skills enable them to (re)frame teacher professional identity (Dikilitas & Comoglu, 2020;Nue & Manara, 2022;Yagata, 2017).…”

Indonesian English Teachers’ Work Engagement and Attitudes towards the Use of Instructional Technology: A Survey Study

“…Furthermore, intrinsic factors could also be at play. This could be the teacher participants' love for the profession nurtured since their teacher education programme (Nue & Manara, 2022;Siahaan & Subekti, 2021) and continually nurtured through daily teaching dynamics. The finding on the very high level of work engagement in teachers was generally in line with the findings of several previous studies (Adekola, 2010 in Nigeria;Basikin, 2007 in Indonesia), suggesting the relatively uniform findings, despite among limited studies, in EFL context on the high level of EFL teachers' work engagement.…”