THE PORTRAITS OF INDONESIAN PRE-SERVICE ENGLISH TEACHERS’ EMOTIONAL GEOGRAPHIES AND COPING STRATEGIES

Abstract

This research reported on English pre-service teachers’ (henceforth PSTs) emotional dynamics during their teaching practicum in Indonesian schools. Research data were collected from retrospective reflections and stimulated recall with ten PSTs. Deploying Hargreaves’ (2001a) emotional geography, the research sought to portray PSTs’ emotional understandings and misunderstandings resulting from the engagement with school community. This study also examined PSTs’ emotion regulation strategies, as the orchestra to construct and re-construct their belief, skills, and professional identity. The findings document contoured emotional experiences characterized by three major themes, inter alia (dis)engagement, (dis)orientation, and distress; personal support and social acceptance; and compliance, cooperation, and completion. PSTs resort to antecedent-focused strategies to cope with the emotional dilemma due to their contextual relevance, effectiveness, and their peripherality in the school community. The research implication substantiates the need for restructuring the policy and practice of teaching practicum to accrue an exemplary foundation for teacher education.