English Teachers’ Identity Development through Distance Learning

Abstract

This paper aimed to describe the development of English teachers‟ identity through distance learning during the pandemic. Since the notification of covid-19, many schools held distance learning to replace classroom learning and strengthen the teacher identity. Besides, the research is also to improve teachers‟ ability in teaching using technology and online media as a medium of learning. The focus of this research is to analyze how English teachers conducted distance learning to strengthen their teacher identity as English teachers. This qualitative research was conducted questionnaire and interview with three English teachers from a private junior high school in Indonesia. They conducted distance learning in their school using google meet, zoom meeting, making a creative video using Kinemaster, and others. The findings suggest that teacher identity in junior high school in order to empower teachers need a long process through constructing teacher identity perspective and developing professional teacher identity to be a teacher identity. After the implementation of distance learning, two English teachers become more innovative during distance learning, by creating online materials, sharing and giving tasks to the students creatively. The implication of these findings, there will be papers that revealed the internal and external factors which affected teacher identity development.