Exploring ELT Students’ Professional Identity Formation through the Perspectives of Critical Incidents

Müfit Şenel

doi:10.12973/eu-jer.10.1.629

Abstract

This study aims at exploring the professional identities of six ELT students through the lens of critical incidents. For the sake of this aim, six ELT students took part in this research at an Anatolian High School in 2018-2019 spring semester. The teaching practicum process was conducted from April to mid of May 2019, once a week over six-week practicum. The main data collection of this study was the Critical Incident Questionnaire (CIQ). Additionally, two questions were asked to the participants to evaluate their actual and designated professional identities. The first question was answered before the practicum and the second one was answered at the end of the practicum process. The results showed that some internal and external factors influenced their professional identity. Additionally, it was found that critical incidents could be used to spot the changes in the participants’ professional identity formation processes. Results of the study indicated that not only negative but also some positive critical incidents contributed to the participants’ professional identity formation. As a result of the encountered incidents that influenced their formation of identities, it was observed that the actual identities of four students changed from positive to negative at the end of the process. Correspondingly, the findings of this study put forward that how the participants explored their identity formation process through the critical incidents.

Highlights

Opportunities which are given for the advance of an individual or to become experienced in language teaching settings allude to ‘teacher development’
This study aims at exploring the professional identities of six ELT students through the lens of critical incidents
The teaching practicum process was conducted from April to mid of May 2019, once a week over six-week practicum

Summary

Introduction

Opportunities which are given for the advance of an individual or to become experienced in language teaching settings allude to ‘teacher development’. As teacher trainees or instructors, one of the numerous jobs is to furnish future or beginning educators with the vital encounters and data they have to turn into "the most ideal sort of instructor." This implies considerably more than the transmission of hypotheses, abilities, and strategies; to provide opportunities which will assist to inexperienced teachers with turning out to be intelligent instructors for the remainder of their professions. Professional identity of teachers has emerged as a prominent factor in all aspects of language teaching fields because it clarifies the way teachers teach, their attitudes toward innovation in education, their professional identity, etc. Critical incidents are unexpected and unplanned events in the classrooms that most teachers can face. Some other definitions for critical incident can be tabulated as: ‘an everyday event that stands out’ (Martin, 1996); ‘eloquent happenings that are considered significant or memorable’ (Brookfield, 1995; Woods, 1993); ‘a problematic situation that presents itself as a unique

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Findings

Discussion

Conclusion