Efl Pre-service Teacher’s Belief About Online Learning As Means To Shape Teacher's Identity

Abstract

Despite the growing number of research studies on beliefs of pre-service teacher about online learning that have been widely carried out, there seems to be insufficient research discussing their beliefs that build their identity as teachers. Moreover, research on beliefs about online learning as a means to shape teacher's identity is very rarely captured in this pandemic condition, especially in the Indonesian context. In addition, research on belief and teacher identity that has been carried out is mostly focused on offline. To fill this void, this study aims to examine how pre-service teacher’s belief in online learning as means to shape their identity as a teacher. This study also aims to retell the story of a pre-service teacher who recalls her experience of the process of her belief being formed so as to build the perception of identity to become a teacher in the future. Narrative inquiry is used as the research method that investigated beliefs and identity of the EFL pre-service teacher in online teaching in relation to complex real experiences (the dimensional space includes past, present, and future experiences). The research was conducted through in-depth online interviews. Teacher diaries from the participant were also used as additional data. Furthermore, in analyzing the data, stages from data transcription, member-checking, and coding were applied in this study. The results showed that Caca’s (pseudonym) environmental factors originating from family, school, and social backgrounds greatly influenced her belief in establishing herself as an educator. The belief influenced her identity as a teacher after exploring the world of education and experiencing the advantages and disadvantages of teaching online in this COVID-19 pandemic situation. Reflections from the participant also affect her current experience as a pre-service teacher. In this reflection, the participant gives credence to that belief and identity are interrelated when teaching using technology in it. This finding has pedagogical implications that can be considered by academic practitioners, both those who will become a prospective teacher and those who have become teachers.