Constructing professional identity through teaching practicum: an Indonesian case study of pre-service English teachers

This study investigates the complexities of a group of pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) journey to becoming novice teachers during the teaching practicum in the context of the Indonesian government’s agenda to reform national education, including reforms in the teaching profession. These reforms were a response to current concerns regarding quality education, including the perceived low standards in English Language Teaching (ELT) in Indonesia. The research project, situated in Riau University, Indonesia, involved 10 participants of between 21-22 years of age and aimed to document the important milestones in PSTs’ learning trajectory to becoming teachers through their lived experiences in the teaching practicum. It specifically attempted to answer the following research questions: a) What drives PSTs to enter the English teaching profession? b) How do PSTs experience the transition of identity from PSTs to novice in-service teachers during teaching practicum? and c) In what ways does the teaching practicum contribute to the PSTs’ professional learning and their understanding of what it means to be a professional English teacher? Data was gathered over a period of 16 weeks using in-depth interviews before and after the teaching practicum, from guided reflective journals, and from one focus group discussion. The narratives were examined and inductively analysed using NVivo. Wenger’s (1998) social theory of learning and his concept of community of practice were used as the central theoretical frameworks in analysing and interpreting the data. This study reveals that the PSTs’ reasons for joining the English teaching profession varied greatly, ranging from altruistic motives or religious and social motivations, to more instrumental reasons such as financial security. The role of significant others, such as family members and school teachers during their childhood and schooling experiences and the influence of broader socio-cultural and political contexts were also found to be important factors behind their decisions to enter the profession. Some of these factors at the same time also contributed as virtual schoolbags in shaping their initial conceptualisations of the “professional English teacher” (PET) and “good English teaching” prior to the teaching practicum. The dynamics of their interaction and social relationships with members of the school community (students, mentor teachers, and school administrators) led them to reinterpret part of their understanding of these notions. In addition, deep-seated cultural norms of the Indonesian society in relation to expectations from the teaching profession had also influenced their conceptualisations in significant ways. The findings further demonstrate that the PSTs’ integration into the teachers’ community during the practicum was not a linear progression, rather it was a continuum that encompassed conflicts, challenges, and tensions, some of which had formed well before they were accepted as part of the school community. Their sense of belonging to the teachers’ community was an important marker for the construction of their novice teacher’s identity. It was built through participation in the form of complex engagement with existing members and with intricate practices during the practicum as well as with broader socio-economic and political contexts. Issues in power imbalances and cultural practices were central to the PSTs’ metamorphosis in becoming novice teachers. School students’ acceptance of the PSTs’ legitimacy as teachers, the sense of collegiality shown by incumbent teachers, support from mentor teachers, and their participation in extra-curricular activities had significantly contributed to the development of the PST’s sense of belonging to the teacher’s community. The findings also indicate that the out-of-classroom social relationships developed during their participation in the teaching practicum contribute to the construction of their professional identity in very tangible ways.