Identity Statuses and Gender in Pre-service EFL Teachers’ Professional Identity Development
Keywords:
Gender, Identity statuses, Pre-service teachers, Teacher Professional Identity, Language teacher educationAbstract
The professional identity construction of pre-service English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) teachers (PSETs) has been the subject of considerable scholarly attention. Nonetheless, the specific roles of gender, identity statuses, and their interaction remain insufficiently investigated. This study seeks to examine the extent to which gender, identity statuses, and the interaction between these variables influence the professional identity construction of PSETs. A total of ninety PSETs (N = 90) enrolled in a teacher education program in Indonesia served as the sample of the study. Data were collected through questionnaires and analyzed using a two-way ANOVA to determine the influence of gender, identity statuses, and their interaction on professional identity development. Findings revealed that identity statuses exerted a significant influence on professional identity formation, with pronounced differences identified between participants in the Identity Diffusion and Identity Achievement categories. By contrast, gender and the interaction between gender and identity statuses were not found to indicate significant influence. These results call into question prevailing assumptions regarding the influence of gender on professional identity construction, highlighting instead the centrality of identity exploration and commitment.
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