16 Hence, as a spiritual guide, the pre-service teacher does not only focus on students
’ knowledge and great understanding of the material, but also focus more on
becoming a good model for the students. Besides, a spiritual guide cares
about students’ personality Xu, 2013. In this case, a pre-service teacher who perceives his or her identity as a spiritual guide
tends to act as a good listener inside and outside classroom. This is in line with Rubio 2009 who states that teachers must care about their students. In this case,
caring about the students includes listening to the students about their particular life and or their personal problems. Furthermore, Stronge et al. 2004 also mention that
a teacher who becomes a good listener, pays attention to, and shows understanding to the students through tenderness and patience, leads the students perceive
effectiveness. It is because the teachers show their kindness, gentleness and encouragement. Hence, a spiritual guide cares about the students and tends to create
comfortable atmosphere in order to make the students consider them as a safe and comfortable figure.
In conclusion, identity involves an ongoing process in which pre-service teachers might change their identity during the process. It is because pre-service
teachers are always in the state of becoming a teacher. However, the identity transformation can be seen as a process in which pre-service teachers conform
themselves during the process in order to develop their sense of professional identity.
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b. Factors of Identity Transformation
Identity is an ongoing process which leads the pre-service teachers to adapt their understanding and transform their identity as a process in developing their
professional identity. Beijaard, Verloop, Vermunt 2000 argue that the pre- service teachers deal with some factors that contribute to their identity
transformation during this ongoing process. In relation to this, one of the factors might be external factor which refers to the people who are in contact with the pre-
service teachers. Lerseth 2013 argues that mentoring and supervising teachers become the factors that influence their identity specially during their teaching
practice in the real school setting. Besides, Gee 2000 also argues that identity recognition and tensions
become the factors which contribute to their identity transformation. Specifically, these factors influence what pre-service teachers believe about who a teacher is. In
addition, Gee 2000 also states that what pre-service teachers believe about who a teacher is is connected with how a teacher acts. In accordance to this, Beijaard et
al. 2000 mention that past experience, content area knowledge, pedadagogy, and relationship with students influence pre-service
teacher’s belief in what a teacher should do, which become the other factors that contribute to the transformation.
Thus, this study will use factors of identity transformation porposed by Lerseth 2013, Gee 2000, and Beijaard, Verloop, Vermunt 2000. Those factors would
be discussed in the following sections.
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1 Mentoring and Supervising Teachers
During the teaching practice in the school, pre-service teachers typically have some people observing them. According to Lerseth 2013, the observers can
be from either the college where they have done preparation or the school where they are completing their teaching practice program. In this case, the observers do
not only observe the pre-service teachers, but they also provide feedback to improve pre-
service teachers’ teaching performance. Specifically, Lerseth 2013 describes mentoring teachers provide their classrooms and personal teaching experience to
the pre-service teachers. Moreover, they are also in constant contact with pre- service teachers during the teaching practice program.
Meanwhile, supervising teachers refer to the lecturers who are provided by the college to observe them weekly or depend on the need of each pre-service
teacher. Due to the fact that both of these roles are pivotal and consistently present during each pre-service
teachers’ teaching practice, it makes tied relation to one or both of these people Lerseth, 2013. Thus, mentoring and supervising hold an
influential factor towards pre- service teachers’ identity transformation.
2 Tensions
Teaching practice program is described by Gee 2000 as a time when pre- service teachers are asked to take their concept of knowledge and apply it into
practice. During this time, Phlean 2005 argues that it is important to have these pre-service teachers experience heightened anxiety, so they can experience strong
emotions and shape their identity. Furthermore, this is in line with Gee 2000 who argues that tension becomes the factor which influence pre-service teacher
’s
19 identity. Additionally, Franzak 2002 mentions that the teaching practice program
is often stressful for pre-service teachers because they encounter dissonance between their previous views of a teacher and what they observe in the field.
Therefore, teaching English is considered more complex in which the pre-service teachers do not only have to learn the language but also learn how to teach the
language to the students. This fact is claimed to be the main cause of pre-service foreign lang
uage teachers’ tension Hammond, Rust, Shulman, 2005. Through these moments, identity is shaped and shifted to help pre-service teachers grow into
his or her own craft Gee, 2000. Therefore, tension also becomes one of the factors that contributes to the pre-
service teachers’ identity transformation.
3 Identity Recognition
One of the important things in teacher preparation is pre- service teachers’
understanding of themselves. Since identity is related to what kind a person is, it is important to understand how a person and others identify herself or himself Gee,
2000. Thus, identity recognition refers to how the pre-service teachers and other people acknowledge them as a teacher during the teaching practice. Furthermore,
this identity recognition leads the pre-service teachers to understand themselves which affects how they act during the teaching practice Gee, 2000 Lerseth,
2013. From this perspective, it can be concluded that how pre-service teachers and people around them help them acknowledge themselves as teachers which
contribute to their identity transformation.
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4 Previous Teaching Experience
Identity is ongoing process in which the pre-service teachers deal with their past experience Beijaard et 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 in which
what they know about themselves now and what they have learned, help them to form or shape themselves in future activities Beijaard et al., 2000. In this case, the
teaching experience refers to the pre-service teachers’ experience in the Micro
Teaching class. Specifically, Micro Teaching class gives the pre-service teachers initial experience as English teachers. Furthermore, pre-service teachers
’ past experience helps them to be better in the teaching practice program in the real
school setting. Thus, Beijaard et al. 2000 argue that it becomes the factor which contribute to the pre-
service teachers’ identity transformation.
5 Pedagogy
Teaching and learning activities in the classroom are often correlated with what the teachers believe in order to create effective activities Beijaard et al.,
2000 . In other words, it refers to teacher’s pedagogy. Similarly, Voss, Kunter, and
Baumert 2011 define pedagogy as a teacher’s principle and strategy of classroom
management and organization. Additionally, Coe, Aloisi, Higgins, and Major 2014 argue that teachers as well as pre-
service teachers’ pedagogy helps them to achieve the learning objective by creating effective teaching and learning activity.
In accordance to this, Beijaard et al. 2000 state that a teacher’s pedagogy affects
the pre- service teachers’ identity transformation.
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6 Content Area Knowledge
Becoming EFL teachers means pre-service teachers have to learn some theories that lead them to understand the material of the subject and to be able to
teach the subject. In relation to this, Beijaard et al., 2000 argue that the content knowledge of teachers plays a significant role in determining teacher effectiveness.
According to Coe et al. 2014, the most effective teachers should have deep knowledge of the subjects they teach. Furthermore, they also argue if teacher
’s knowledge falls below a certain level, it will be a significant obstacle of
students’ learning. Furthermore, teachers should not only have strong understanding of the
material being taught, but teachers must also understand the ways students think about the content, be able to identify
students’ common misconceptions. Further, Rohandi et al. 2013 emphasize that as a teacher, pre-service teachers need to give
correct example to the students and correct their mistakes. Hence, Beijaard et al. 2000
state that teacher’s content knowledge affects the pre-service teachers’ identity transformation.
7 Relationship with Students
Teacher’s relationship with students becomes an important thing during the teaching learning process. In accordance to this, the teachers as well as pre-service
teachers who have close, positive and supportive relationship with their students will be able to understand their students more and lead them to achieve higher levels
of achievement. In the same line, Beijaard et al. 2000 state that when the pre- service teachers develop productive relationship with their students, they know
them more and take particular interest of their learning progress. Furthermore,
