A phenomenological analysis of the emotional experiences of graduate preservice student teachers in Indonesia

Emotional geographies in teaching

A teacher’s emotions are indicators that can be used to explore aspects beyond the teacher’s professional relationships (Hargreaves, 2001a). Teaching is not only a cognitive and behavioral practice where elaborating teaching depends only on what they know and what they should do in the class. Instead, teaching involves another factor, such as their feeling when teaching, which can be a help or a threat for their professionalism.

A teacher’s experience of teaching can be affected by their relationships with the students (Hargreaves, 2000), parents (Hargreaves & Lasky, 2004), their colleagues (Hargreaves, 2001a), principals, and educational changes (Hargreaves, 1998a, 1998b), with the feelings from these relationships affecting teaching styles, judgments, and the conduct of the class learning activities. Therefore, understanding these positive and negative emotions related to teaching, could reveal the underlying decision-making and problem-solving contexts in the classroom.

Understanding teacher emotions is important for teachers with extensive teaching experience and student teachers during their teaching practicum. Teaching practicums allow preservice teachers to experience a real class and apply the knowledge they have learned. Following teaching plans may not be as easy as one believes and may evoke positive and negative emotions depending on how the threats in the class are perceived. These stressful situations guide the problems that need to be overcome, and the feelings being experienced could lead to changes in preservice teachers’ perceptions, beliefs, and teaching styles (Yuan & Lee, 2014).

Graduate preservice student teachers

Graduate preservice teachers (GPSTs) are graduate students enrolled in master’s degree programs who are required to complete their teaching practicums before graduation (Geng et al., 2016). Although the term ‘preservice teachers’ is widely used, the preservice teachers in this study were slightly different because they were studying for their master’s degrees rather than bachelor’s degrees. Graduate English education program students are required to complete a teaching practicum comprising three to five classes with undergraduate students in similar majors and to teach the classes similarly to the undergraduate student lecturers. These teaching practicums provide GPSTs with additional teaching experience by allowing them to teach undergraduate students whose characteristics differ distinctly from the secondary school students they taught as part of their bachelor’s degrees, thus increasing their knowledge about dealing with adult students and positioning them for possible future employment as lecturers (Sunardi, 2018).

Teaching emotions

A classroom is an emotional place. The students spend endless hours attending class, finishing projects, taking tests, and building social relationships contributing to life goals—holding a degree in education today has been more personal, social, or financially significant. Emotions like curiosity, interest, hope, pride, rage, anxiety, shame, confusion, irritation, and tedium are common, prevalent, and intense in these contexts (Pekrun & Linnenbrink-Garcia, 2015; Zhang & Zhu, 2008).

The significance of emotions in education extends to teachers, principals, and administrators in equal measure. For instance, teachers are responsible not only for imparting knowledge but also for instilling a passion for the subject and enthusiasm for learning (Pekrun & Linnenbrink-Garcia, 2015). Student teachers will learn emotions early in the teaching process, in this case, during their teaching practicum. Teaching practicum can project the real teaching atmosphere and give the student teacher valuable experiences to expose themselves to emotions in teaching. Typically, these feelings emerge when teachers' objectives, standards, and beliefs interact with those of other classroom participants during routine school activities (Hargreaves, 1998a). Thus, teachers experience various emotions, from happiness and pleasure when a lesson proceeds as intended to frustration and anger when working with difficult administrators (Schutz, 2014; Sutton & Wheatley, 2003). If they successfully generate enthusiasm for the course material, the motivational effects should extend well beyond the course. However, failing to maintain good teaching by standards will lead them to feel anxiety or boredom. (Pekrun & Linnenbrink-Garcia, 2015; Sutton & Harper, 2009; Titsworth et al., 2010)

Ethics

This study was approved by Universitas Mulawarman and Ethical Clearance Committee (Protocol Number: 061/UN17.5/PP/2020). Written informed consent was obtained from all participants.

Participants

This study investigated the emotional geographies of Graduate Pre-Service Student Teachers (GPSTs) majoring in English Education at Mulawarman University, who had finished their teaching practicum in 2019. There were 21 students who were first recruited and contacted for taking part in this study online via Zoom, but only 15 students were able to proceed with the interview. Six other students could not participate in this study due to limited access to the internet in their hometown as most of the students had returned home because of COVID-19 restrictions (Ministry of Education and Culture of Indonesia, 2020). Participant profiles are shown in Table 1.

All participants were enrolled in the TESOL teacher training program and had various previous education and teaching experiences. Most participants had been teaching for several years, both in formal education (e.g., teaching at school) and informal education (e.g., teaching in an English course). In contrast, three participants were relatively new to teaching, especially teaching university students.

Instruments

This study used semi-structured interviews based on Hargreaves’ five emotional geography dimensions. The interview structure was designed specifically to explore the emotional geographies (RQ1) and their impact on teaching beliefs and styles (RQ2). Generally, the interviews are based on these main questions which are modified or lead to another suitable questions. The main questions are as follows:

From these five questions, the authors derived additional questions based on responses from the participants, in order to drill down into their emotional geographies. These interview questions focussed on Hargreaves’ emotional geography framework to investigate the five emotional dimensions sociocultural, moral, professional, physical and political encountered by preservice teachers during practicum and directly answered the study’s research question.

Research procedure

This research was conducted from March to April 2020. Because of COVID-19 restrictions (Ministry of Education and Culture of Indonesia, 2020), the thirty to sixty minute semi-structured interviews were conducted online via Zoom; with two interviews conducted for each participant. Then, the participants were contacted by the researcher (S) to ask for their willingness and availability to participate in the study. The researcher (S) took the participants’ contact information from the postgraduate program of English Education and he also provided the link for the Zoom meeting. There were 15 students who were able and available to attend an interview with the researcher (S). The first interview was exploring their emotional geographies and in the second interview, researchers verified the interview transcriptions with the participants to ensure their answers were recorded correctly. In both interviews, the participants voluntarily gave consent to the use of their experience as data for this research. These interviews were designed to gather in-depth qualitative data needed to answer the stated research questions regarding types of emotional geographies experienced and their influence on teaching beliefs and practices. The transcript was double-checked by the participant to ensure the result were accurate.

Data analysis technique

A phenomenological approach was adopted for data analysis and included three steps: coding the emotions, identifying and/or interpreting the causes of the reported emotions, and identifying the themes based on the emotional geography framework of Hargreaves (1998a). A phenomenological approach was adopted because it best supports exploring participants’ lived experiences related to emotional geographies, directly aligning with the research questions. The data analysis systematically addressed the types of emotional geographies encountered (RQ1) and their influence on GPSTs’ professional development (RQ2). In the first coding emotion step, the interview transcripts were searched for passages that included information on teachers’ emotions, to which an emotional geography coding scheme was applied. The emotions (e.g., annoyance, happiness, and joy) were plotted as either positive or negative and coded accordingly. The second step in the analysis identified and/or inferred the cause of the participants’ reported emotions as reported by participants, the descriptions for which were paraphrased and described using qualitative content analysis. Statements describing similar causes were merged and a summary of the inferred causes was made for each identified emotion. This step involved scrutinizing the text passages within each code, such as motivation. The third step complemented the analysis by identifying the overall themes and the specific emotional geographies. The third level of analysis built on these results by determining the general storylines and the corresponding emotional mappings. A three-step phenomenological analysis allowed us to trace the emotional experiences and map them into the emotional geography dimensions provided by Hargreaves, answering the research question around the emotional geographies in which preservice teachers engaged during practicum sickness leaves.

Sociocultural distance: ‘Punctuality is the students’ common problem’

Sociocultural distance typically develops because of differences in cultures, habits, social standing, and economic levels. In this case, all participants expressed negative feelings about the students’ lateness, that is, punctuality was found to be a source of unpleasant emotions (e.g., frustration, anger, and feeling distracted and upset) (Prasetyarini et al., 2021; Bataineh, 2014). The class was able to function normally with few late students; however, class activities were significantly disrupted when over half of the class was late. Most participants stated that they had planned specific tasks for the class, and if the class began late, it affected all activities in the teaching plan, making the participants irritable (Zaid Bataineh, 2014). Explaining the materials again to the late students, which upset the participants’ concentration, was also necessary, as one participant stated:

This comment reveals that the GPST had experienced unpleasant emotions when the students were late as this had disrupted the lesson plan. However, most GPST participants felt that they had no right to be tough on the students because they were only graduate students, not lecturers (Boyce, 1997). Therefore, the sociocultural distance associated with student tardiness resulted in the participants experiencing political distance.

Moral distance: ‘I’m so distracted when they are busy on their phones’

The participants were inevitably confronted with moral distance when they interacted with the students. Moreover, the participants believed that the students occasionally had different moral aims in mind during the interactions. The GPST participants expected the students to listen and pay attention; however, they occasionally encountered students who did not do so, making them feel distracted and enraged, especially when they notice their students were more concerned with their phones, as stated by one participant:

Another participant added the following:

Seeing the students ignore them in favor of their phones made them feel humiliated and disrespected (Baker et al., 2012; Smale et al., 2021; Thomas & O’Bannon, 2013; Tindell & Bohlander, 2012). They felt that they had tried to do their best when teaching the class but had received disrespectful behavior in return. Inappropriate student behavior has commonly been reported as a source of negative feelings among preservice teachers (Baker et al., 2012; Karunagaran & Saimin, 2019; Thomas & O’Bannon, 2013) as they felt what they were doing was useless because they did not get the responses they wanted.

Professional distance: ‘Am I competent enough to teach them?’

The most striking conclusion from this study is the emotional distance the participants felt about their professionalism. The GPST participants’ perceptions of their professional worth varied. The first point of contention was when they expressed doubts about their competence to educate the undergraduate students because the students had made them believe that their knowledge was insufficient. In response to this issue, the participants felt anxious during their initial period in the class and when teaching the students. As one participant stated,

Not only did the participants cast doubt on their competence but they also acknowledged that they had limited comprehension of the teaching content at times (Agustiana, 2014). Consequently, the participants felt unable to respond when the students posed critical questions about issues. Another instance was when they believed they had not adequately prepared the content and lacked mastery of the material they had provided to the students. According to one participant, ‘Because there was a topic that I didn’t really understand, I tried to make my face look like I understood it and then I felt like no one noticed’ (Participant 3).

Teachers should be well prepared for class and must comprehend and master the topics they are going to teach. However, preservice students occasionally have difficulties comprehending the content of their teaching materials and often do not have the time to talk with their cooperating teachers. These issues can cause students to have doubts and reservations about the teacher’s competence to instruct in the class and can affect subsequent lessons, even if the teachers are fully prepared afterwards. Therefore, teachers must be professionally prepared to create a favorable educational environment.

Furthermore, the teaching practicums with undergraduate students majoring in English Education required the participants to communicate in English on daily basis. Regrettably, not all participants spoke English fluently and were therefore confronted with a professional divide, as commented on by one participant, ‘Maybe, generally, I have not been really satisfied with my speaking environment in the past years, something like that’ (Participant 13).

The participant expressed dissatisfaction with their speaking ability, which they believed was insufficient (Daud et al., 2019). Owing to a lack of confidence in their ability to communicate in English, they felt incapable of teaching the students. From the students’ perspective, English majors need the lecturer to be proficient in English teaching techniques; therefore, they would not feel they were ideal models for effective English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers if the students felt that participants were not competent lecturers. The questioning of a teacher’s ability occurs regularly in Indonesia, primarily because many EFL teachers are non-native English speakers. Thus, students are hesitant to speak English if they are only taught through textbooks; therefore, Indonesian preservice teachers should prioritize the English abilities needed to assist them in their teaching, that is, English fluency is a must for EFL teachers (Daud et al., 2019).

Another difficulty associated with professional distance was when the teacher’s plans did not align with the students’ qualities. Teachers are often confident that certain methods will be successful in the classroom; however, success is contingent upon whether these methods are appropriate for students. Therefore, professional distance occurs when reality does not match the teacher’s expectations, as reported by one participant:

The teacher had arranged a group discussion and had anticipated that all students would fully participate; however, the classroom atmosphere or the students’ qualities did not align with the preplanned activities, meaning that the teacher had to choose whether to alter their activities or continue with them regardless of student engagement. When confronted with an unexpected event in the classroom, the decision to change activities needs to be made by the teacher based on their professional judgment, which also means that teachers should have alternative plans when their planned activities do not proceed as expected.

Physical distance: ‘I was nervous as it was the first time I had taught undergraduate students’

When establishing an emotional bond between teachers and students, there inevitably needs to be an intimacy, regularity, and continuity of engagement between both parties (Hargreaves, 2001b). Physical closeness and distance are also related to the amount of time or space produced between the parties that interact (Liu, 2016). The physical theme evolved because of the interactions between the participants and other stakeholders (i.e., the students, cooperating teachers, and administrative staff ). Three participants expressed anxiety when confronted with physical distance in their encounters with the students or the cooperating teachers.

The first physical distance occurred when preservice teachers were teaching undergraduate students, with a majority reporting feeling apprehensive when standing in front of students their age (Boyce, 1997). Their anxiety was because of a sense of inadequacy, unfamiliarity, and distrust. Their reactions to the physical distance were influenced by their first efforts at teaching in front of a class and by the professional distance they felt in the class (Agustiana, 2014; Shah et al., 2021; Zhu, 2017). Their uncertainty about their abilities and characteristics exacerbated their unfamiliarity with the students, which was why they were scared and experienced a physical distance from the students. As one participant stated:

The aforementioned participant was concerned that the students would reject them because they were only a master’s degree student. This sentiment was shared by the majority of GPST participants in this study who were fearful that the students would question their abilities as they were only novice undergraduate teachers. These difficulties resulted in a range of emotions, including anxiety and nervousness.

Another difficulty related to physical distance occurred during the initial meeting of two participants with their cooperating teachers. Cooperating teachers are the classroom teachers with whom the participants needed to collaborate. Preservice teachers substitute for the cooperating teachers in three to five classes; therefore, maintaining a positive relationship with the cooperating teachers is a requirement so that the preservice teachers can discuss their concerns and seek and discuss solutions. However, not all participants had met their cooperating teachers in person, which created anxiety. As one participant put it:

The participant encountered physical distance when communicating with their cooperating teacher because they had never met them (Boyce, 1997). Similar problems were raised by other participants who had never previously communicated with their cooperating teacher. They felt awkward initiating communication with someone they did not know in person as they felt it was necessary to meet their coordinating teacher in person first before discussing the teaching practicum. However, building a personal attachment before the teaching practicum was slightly difficult because not all preservice teachers lived in the same city as the university and their cooperating teacher. Therefore, they tried to contact them using messenger or social media but still felt awkward. This physical distance, in some cases, led to political distance as they felt very nervous when teaching in front of their cooperating teacher.

Physical closeness: ‘I’d like to be a friend with the students’

Surprising information was found related to physical geography concerning how the preservice teachers felt about their student interactions. The teachers frequently attempted to create distance between themselves and the students to retain their professionalism. However, most of the GPSTs in this study believed that developing a close relationship with the students enabled them to better accomplish their teaching objectives. As one participant stated, ‘I really like teaching and I like to blend with the students’ (Participant 6). Another participant added the following:

The participants believed that having personal contact with the students could gain their attention and respect; therefore, they attempted to develop positive relationships with the students through laughing, projecting a warm attitude, and providing personal communication. Even after the teaching practicum was completed, one participant stated that they enjoyed becoming friends with the students and developing relationships. The participants did not view their closeness to students to be a violation of their professionalism; rather, they felt that this closeness demonstrated their professionalism. It appeared that the study participants had divergent views on student–teacher interactions.

Political distance: ‘I’m not even their real lecturer’

The final theme was political geography, which revealed the divergent views about the exercise of power (Liu, 2016). Political distance was observed when the participants questioned their power or authority in the class or when the teaching practicum coordinators were observing them.

This political distance made the GPST participants uneasy, which was also evident in their interactions with their cooperating teachers. They were nervous when they noticed the cooperating teacher, who they knew had greater power and authority, observing them in the class (Boyce, 1997). In comparison, one participant experienced a sense of political intimacy when their cooperating teacher bestowed complete authority on them and allowed them to teach the class without being monitored.

Political distance was not found to only occur during the interactions between the participants and their cooperating teacher. Certain situations also made them feel helpless and had a major impact; however, they felt they could not deal with the situation. As one participant put it:

Therefore, as aforementioned, many GPST participants felt powerless when the classroom environment was not conducive. Classroom settings and the environment can have a substantial impact on class activity (Marzano & Marzano, 2003). Hot and noisy classrooms can be disruptive to both students and teachers and impair classroom activities (Prasetyarini et al., 2021). Therefore, the participant was unable to intervene because the classroom was hot and excessive noise was noted outside the classroom. The situation prevents students from concentrating on the materials provided by the participant. As a result, she maintains a political distance from the problem.

Limitation and implication

The study has several limitations. First, the sample was drawn from one class of master’s degree students, resulting in a relatively homogeneous group that may not capture the full variance of emotional experiences. Second, data collection via Zoom introduced challenges (e.g., poor internet connectivity) that occasionally led to misunderstandings during interviews, rendering some responses partially unusable. Consequently, future research should adopt a mixed-method approach—beginning with a survey followed by face-to-face interviews—to capture a broader range of experiences and clarify responses immediately. Additionally, further studies should explore the coping strategies (self-regulation) employed by graduate preservice teachers to provide richer insights into their professional development. On the basis of this constraint, the researchers suggest that future studies conduct face-to-face interviews with the participants in order to clarify any misconceptions immediately. Furthermore, since this study relied on pre-service teachers' experienced during the teaching practicums which emphasized on their feelings only, it will be a better enrichment when the future research can correlate their experience with the way they cope with it, so called their self-regulation.