An Autobiographical Narrative Inquiry: English Language Teacher Identity Construction
Keywords:
narrative inquiry, teacher identity, English language teachingAbstract
This study uses teacher identity as an analytic lens to explore how post-graduate English teacher professional identity developed during the learning of English (from first encounter to the post-graduate program) and to examine what factors promote the development of teacher identity during the learning of English. Guided by the teachers personal interpretative framework Kelchtermans (1993) and utilizing a narrative inquiry research design, this study employed interviews to elicit data from two post graduate students of English education program in Indonesia. The findings revealed that the student-teacher identity was constructed through multiple dimensions, which changed at different points in time. It include motivations, self-image, self-esteem, job motivation, task perception and future perspective which resulted in the change of subjective educational theory (from simplistic to real). The development of teacher identity is also affected by the significant other such as from teacher educators and teacher education programs (internship, and subject matter). Besides, the cultural and psychological aspects were also associated.
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