The Long Walk to Quality Teacher Education in Indonesia: EFL Student Teachers’ Motives to become a Teacher and Policy Implications

Abstract

The purpose of this mixed methods study, within the altruistic, intrinsic, or extrinsic motivesframework, was conducted in order to document the motives of English as a foreign language (EFL) studentteachers to become a teacher by choosing a teacher education program at one public university in Jambi,Sumatra, Indonesia. A sample of 285 student teachers who were enrolled at EFL teacher education program atone public university in Jambi, Sumatra, Indonesia was investigated. Data were collected through aquestionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The frequency of each statement was computed and expressedas percentage of its total score and all of the interview data were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, andcarefully analysed. The findings of this study revealed that the Indonesian EFL student teachers’ interpretationsof their motives for embarking on a journey to become a teacher were various and unique. Although, altruisticmotives seemed to be predominant, the kinds of motives on their career choice were likely to involve aninteraction among altruistic, intrinsic, and extrinsic motives across participants quantitatively andqualitatively. Implications policies to create good standards of teacher education programs in order to attractand recruit quality student teachers should be made before, during, and after entering the program.