Pre-service EFL teachers’ identity construction in relation to digital gamification: A social theory of learning perspective

Abstract

Nowadays, digital technology is a vital aspect of teaching. Therefore, it is essential for pre-service teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) to develop an identity that fits the current needs. In response to this demand, this study aims to explore pre-service EFL teachers’ identities in relation to digital technology, more particularly gamification. This study employs Wenger's social theory of learning especially the Engagement, Imagination, and Alignment modes of belonging. This study involved four pre-service EFL teachers from two different contexts in Indonesia. Data on participants' involvement in digital gamification were collected from the written history records of the participants and semi-structured interviews. Data which were collected during seven-week period of the participants’ teaching practice were analyzed to grasp how digital gamification influenced the development of their identities as pre-service EFL teachers. The findings indicate that the participants encountered identity struggles in using digital gamification to negotiate their identities when teaching practice in placement schools. Likewise, they claim to have developed a number of identities such as contemporary, tech-savvy, innovative, and up-to-date pre-service EFL teachers. The results of this study assert that initial teacher education would benefit from focusing on the identities of pre-service EFL teachers. This implies that pre-service EFL teachers need to continually maintain their ever-changing digital identities and that schools need to provide pre-service EFL teachers with additional technological resources.