A Research On Pre-service English Teachers' Professional Identity In Local Normal Universities

In recent years,teachers' professional identity has drawn increased attention by many scholars and researchers.As one of the important factors which affect teachers' teaching quality and professional development,the study of teachers' professional identity is no longer limited to in-service teachers;the pre-service teachers' professional identity has also begun to gain interest in this area.However,the current research is mainly focused on tuition-free pre-service teachers;there are relatively fewer studies on non-free pre-service teachers for specific majors.In order to find out the current situation and problems of pre-service English teachers' professional identity of local normal universities in Guangxi,this research takes 315 pre-service English teachers from Guangxi Normal University,Guangxi Teachers Education University and Yulin Normal University as research subjects,analyzes the status quo and influencing factors from four dimensions: professional expectation,professional volition,professional value and professional efficacy.By the methods of the questionnaires and interviews,this research attempts to find out:(1)How is the overall situation of pre-service English teachers' professional identity?(2)What is the correlation between different demographic variables and pre-service English teachers' professional identity?(3)What are the factors affecting pre-service English teachers' professional identity?The major findings are generalized as follows: Firstly,in general,the current professional identity level of pre-service English teacher is above average.Secondly,according to the analysis results of demographic variables,there are significant differences in professional identity among different genders,grades,and personality: the teachers' professional identity level of females is higher than that of males;the teachers' professional identity level of freshman is obviously higher than that of sophomore,junior and senior;the students with extrovert character scored above than those with introvert and balanced character.In other aspects,such as family location and student cadres,although no significant differences can be found in terms of professional identity,minor differences still exist in sub-dimensions.Thirdly,for influencing factors,it can be seen that many factors affect pre-service English teachers' professional identity,among which three aspects are more obvious,namely individual,normal universities and society.Based on the above findings and existing problems,some suggestions are put forward to improve pre-service English teachers' professional identity from three aspects.Firstly,on the individual level,pre-service English teachers should consolidate professional faith in teaching,form a correct understanding of their own professional orientations and improve their teaching abilities.Secondly,on the school level,normal universities can strengthen course reform and construction,develop students' professional identity in different grades accordingly,and carry out certain amount of “normal” campus cultural activities.Thirdly,on the social level,it is necessary to take measures to build the atmosphere of respecting teachers and valuing education,raise teachers' pays and social status and improve their work and living environment.