64 During the teaching practice program, P2, P3, and P5 faced some tensions
which influenced their identity transformation. I felt afraid if I could not solve the problem or answer the students’ question.
However, I tried to deal with my tensions by feeling relax and just said what I know. Then, another tension that I faced was when my students were too
noisy. However, it could still be solved. I tried to keep silent for a while, motivated, and gave them additional point. [6.P2]
One of the tensions that was faced by P2 was being afraid that she could not answer her students’ questions, although she never got difficult questions from her students
during the teaching practice program. Then, P2 also found that classroom management became another tension which she faced during teaching practice
program. Classroom management, in this particular context, was handling the students who were too noisy. However, P2 tried to deal with her tensions. In this
case, P2 tried to keep silent and let the students realize that their teacher being silent was to show that it was not good for the students to do so. Here, P2 tried to
implement the theory that she got Micro Teaching class. Besides, P3 and P5 faced similar tension which they had to deal with their
supervisors who were very strict see appendix C. Through these tensions, P3 and P5 tried
to design the material well by considering her supervisor’s standard, as well as P5 who
tried to teach with her style but still considered her supervisor’s style as standard. During this time, it was obvious that P2, P3, and P5 experienced
heightened anxiety so they could experience strong emotion. However, since the tensions mostly related to teaching administration, they considered that it did not
contribute enough to their identity transformation.
65
c. Previous Teaching Experience
Identity is ongoing dynamic process, in which during the process the pre- service teachers deal with their past experience Beijaardet al., 2000. In accordance
to this, it means that pre- service teachers’ past experiences are deeply involved in
the formation and development of this dynamic process. It is because identity is a continuum, where what they know about themselves now and what they have
learned, help them to form or shape themselves in future activities. In relation to this, P2 and P3 also considered that their previous teaching experience, which
referred to Micro Teaching class, influenced them in transforming their identity. Through the interview, P2 stated that her past teaching experience helped
her to manage the class see appendix C. From her previous Micro Teaching class, P2 realized that classroom management was important. Classroom management, in
this particular context, referred to how P2 encouraged the students in the learning process. In Micro Teaching class, she managed herself to walk around the class in
order to help the students understand the material. Moreover, she also clearly emphasized that giving motivation was also really important. Therefore, she tried
to apply it during her teaching practice program in the real school. Beside that, P3 and P5 also thought that their previous teaching practice affected them as stated
below: .... In addition, I also learned how to design appropriate lesson plans in the
MT class which prepared me for the teaching practices in the real school. [5.P3]
Since teaching also deals with teaching administration, P3 and P5 found that her previous teaching experience gave them experience in designing appropriate
66 lesson plan. Their experience in Micro Teaching class helped them to be better in
the next practice. However, the participants, in this particular context, considered that their experiences in Micro Teaching class only gave them more experience in
designing appropriate lesson plan. Hence, it did not really contribute to their identity transformation.
d. Content Area Knowledge
Becoming EFL English teachers means pre-service teachers have to learn
some theories that lead them to understand the material of the subject and how to teach the subject, which become their content area knowledge. In relation to this,
Beijaa rd et al., 2000 argue that teachers’ content knowledge plays a significant
role in determining teacher effectiveness. Moreover, Coe, Aloisi, Higgins, and Major 2014
also state that the most effective teachers should have deep knowledge of the subjects they teach. Furthermore,
when teachers’ knowledge falls below a certain level it is a significant obstacle of
students’ learning. In this research, P2 and P3 also stated that their content area knowledge led them in creating teaching and
learning process. .... I got everything from my courses before, so I could share it to my students,
such as tenses and how to make a good writing. [9.P2] In this case, P2 found that her knowledge which she got during the courses helped
her a lot in fulfilling her role as a teacher during the teaching practice program. Similarly, P3 and P5 also found that their content area knowledge helped them
master the material so they could give correct examples to her students see appendix C. It was because she needed to give correct example for them and
67 corrected their mistake Rohandi et al., 2013. Furthermore, it was because P3 and
P5 also had to understand the ways students think about the material, be able to evaluate the thinking behind
students’ own methods, and identify students’ common misconceptions Coe et al., 2014. Hence, having great content area
knowledge affects learning and teaching that pre-service teachers create during the practice and
contributes to students’ achievement Lerseth, 2013. However, the participants, in this particular context, considered that their content area knowledge
only helped them master the material. Hence, it did not give influential effect toward their identity transformation.
C. Another Finding of Pre-Service Teachers’ Identity Transformation
This section discusses another finding of pre- service teachers’ identity
transformation. This section discusses two pre-service teachers, namely P1 and P4, who did not tend to transform or have not transfomed their identity yet. Pre-service
teachers are always in the state of becoming. In this case, becoming a teacher means that they may transform their identity. However, Alsup 2006 argues that pre-
service teachers’ identity is difficult to change unless their belief is repeatedly challenged through the creation of cognitive dissonance as part of the teacher
education program. Generally, both P1 and P4 found similar experience with their previous
teaching practice. There were some characteristics that they mentioned in the previous study. In their reflective journal, P1 and P4 indicated that they focused
more on facilitating the students and giving the students opportunity to undergo the
