Pedagogy : Journal of English Language Teaching
Vol 13 No 1 (2025): Pedagogy: Journal of English Language Teaching

Novice Teachers' Critical Incidents and Motivation to Choose Teaching Professions: A Study of Teacher Professional Identity Construction

Putri, Natalia Destiana (Unknown)
Mbato , Concilianus Laos (Unknown)
Ena , Ouda Teda (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
20 Jun 2025

Abstract

Novice teachers, who are in the initial stages of their career as educators, may exhibit a propensity for uncertainty regarding the execution of their professional responsibility. This is particularly dependent on their motivation and experiences accrued throughout their teaching journey. Consequently, novice teachers must engage in reflective practices concerning their professional experiences which involve their beliefs, motivations, and significant incidents that shape their professional identity development. This study involved three EFL novice teachers in elementary schools who are in their first year of teaching. This is a qualitative study that employed the Critical Incident Technique to gather and analyze the data following the five steps proposed by Hughes, William Son, & Lloyd (2007). The data were obtained using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews which were conducted online. Findings reveal that female novice teachers are more intrinsically motivated, driven by their interest in English and teaching, whereas male novice teacher is primarily motivated by his educational background and the prestige of the profession. Although all participants encountered similar critical incidents related to student behavior, teaching ability, classroom management, and teacher-teacher relationships, their responses varied. One participant viewed these challenges as opportunities for growth, while others felt demotivated, particularly when teaching elementary school students. The future career trajectories of novice teachers in education may be influenced by their reflections on these experiences.

Copyrights © 2025






Journal Info

Abbrev

pedagogy

Publisher

Subject

Education Environmental Science Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media Social Sciences Other

Description

Pedagogy: Journal of English Language Teaching is a journal published by the State Institute of Islamic Studies (IAIN) of Metro. It specializes in English Language Teaching and is intended to communicate original researches and current issues on the subject. This journal is published twice a year. ...