Pre-service EFL Teachers as Homo Sentimentalis: Speculating the Emotional Components of the Teaching Profession through Joint Reflection Sessions in Practicum

Kırmızı, Özkan; Irgatoğlu, Aydan

doi:10.30466/ijltr.2024.121581

Pre-service EFL Teachers as Homo Sentimentalis: Speculating the Emotional Components of the Teaching Profession through Joint Reflection Sessions in Practicum

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Özkan Kırmızı ¹

Aydan Irgatoğlu ²

¹ Karabük University, Turkey

² Ankara Haci Bayram Veli University, Turkey

10.30466/ijltr.2024.121581

Abstract

Taking both personal and collaborative perspectives, the present study aims to sketch out emotion-bearing incidents during the practicum process over an extended period. Keeping in mind the significance of emotions in language learning and teaching, the present study aims, in particular, to see what emotions pre-service EFL teachers (PSTs) perceive, how they believe these emotions could be tackled, and what they could do in their future teaching to counter these emotions. Data were collected through joint reflection sessions and individual reflections. Weekly joint reflection sessions were conducted by pre-service EFL teachers (PSTs hereafter) after the practicum day, which was followed by individual reflection. It is believed that joint reflection sessions are critical in capturing the dynamicity of emotions in L2 learning and teaching. The total number of PSTs taking part in the present study was 30. The findings of the study indicate that the PSTs went through a complex web of emotions ranging from positive ones including happiness, pride, or excitement to negative ones including frustration, anger, or dissatisfaction. Our results also indicate that PSTs’ emotions slightly changed when they started teaching.

Keywords

L2 learning emotions

practicum

emotion regulation

happiness

dissatisfaction