Do Emotions Teach Us How to Teach? Emotional Insights from an International EFL Practicum in Thailand

Maulidia Rachmawati Nur; Salsabila Jihan Khalishah; Muhajir Afandi

doi:10.29408/veles.v9i2.30333

Authors

Maulidia Rachmawati Nur Universitas Ibn Khaldun Bogor, Indonesia
Salsabila Jihan Khalishah Universitas Ibn Khaldun Bogor, Indonesia
Muhajir Afandi Universitas Ibn Khaldun Bogor, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29408/veles.v9i2.30333

Keywords:

emotional geographies, international teaching practicum, pre-service teachers

Abstract

This qualitative case study explores the emotional geographies experienced by Indonesian pre-service teachers during an international EFL teaching practicum in Southern Thailand. Using Hargreaves’ (2001) framework, which includes moral, sociocultural, political, professional, and physical geographies, this study examines how emotional dynamics influence the practicum experiences of two pre-service teachers over six months. Data were gathered through open-ended questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, then analyzed with Braun and Clarke’s Thematic Content Analysis and the Miles and Huberman model. The findings indicate that three emotional geographies, moral, sociocultural, and political, were most prominent. These emerged through emotional challenges such as managing student behavior, navigating cultural and linguistic differences, and dealing with hierarchical structures that hinder open communication and emotional expression in the classroom. Despite these challenges, participants also experienced emotional growth, increased cultural awareness, and development of their teaching identities. The study highlights the importance of affective experiences in shaping teacher development, particularly within intercultural and multilingual educational settings. It contributes to the expanding body of literature on international teacher education by emphasizing the need to include emotional preparation and intercultural competence in pre-service teacher training. Addressing emotional aspects of teaching through structured reflection, emotional literacy, and mentoring can better prepare future educators for global teaching assignments. The findings suggest that policy and curriculum reforms in teacher education are essential to foster emotional resilience and intercultural adaptation during international practicums.

References

Arshavskaya, E. (2016). Complexity in mentoring in a pre-service teacher practicum: A case study approach. International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education, 5(1), 2–19. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMCE-07-2015-0021

Benesch, S. (2018). Emotions as agency: Feeling rules, emotion labor, and English language teachers’ decision-making. System, 79, 60-69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2018.03.015

Berrens, K. (2016). An emotional cartography of resonance. Emotion, Space and Society, 20, 75–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emospa.2016.06.005

Bondi, L., Davidson, J., & Smith, M. (2012). Introduction: Geography’s ‘emotional turn.’ In Emotional Geographies (pp. 1–16). Routledge.

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2008). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. http://dx.doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

Brown, A., & Ruiz, H. (2017). Equity and enrichment in the TESOL practicum. ELT Journal, 71(3), 284–294. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccw092

Cil, O., & Dotger, B. (2017). Moral, professional, and political geographies emerged in a clinically simulated parent-teacher interaction. Teaching and Teacher Education, 67, 237–245. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2017.05.018

Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2016). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Sage publications.

De Matos-Ala, J., & Hornsby, D. J. (2015). Introducing international studies: Student engagement in large classes. International Studies Perspectives, 16(2), 156–172. https://doi.org/10.1111/insp.12036

Evans, M. P. (2011). Revisiting emotional geographies: Implications for family engagement and education policy in the United States. Journal of Educational Change, 12(2), 241–255. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-011-9155-0

Gebhard, J. G. (2012). International students’ adjustment problems and behaviors. Journal of International Students, 2(2), 184–193.

Hargreaves, A. (2001). The emotional geographies of teachers’ relations with colleagues. International Journal of Educational Research, 35(5), 503–527. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0883-0355(02)00006-X

Hasanah, N., & Utami, P. T. (2020). Emerging challenges of teaching English in non-native English-speaking countries: Teachers’ view. English Language Teaching Educational Journal, 2(3), 112–120. https://doi.org/10.12928/eltej.v2i3.1134

Jin, A., Foley, A., & Cooley, D. (2020). Participant Chinese teacher and student perceptions of an international teaching practicum with Australian pre-service teachers. Intercultural Education, 31(4), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/14675986.2020.1783796

Liu, L. (2016). Using a generic inductive approach in qualitative educational research: A case study analysis. Journal of Education and Learning, 5(2), 129–135. https://doi.org/10.5539/jel.v5n2p129

Łodzikowski, K., & Jekiel, M. (2019). Board games for teaching English prosody to advanced EFL learners. ELT Journal, 73(3), 275–285. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccy059

Lincoln, Y., & Guba, E. (1985). Naturalistic Inquiry. [sl] Sage Publications.

Lou, N. M., & Noels, K. A. (2019). Sensitivity to language-based rejection in intercultural communication: The role of language mindsets and implications for migrants’ cross-cultural adaptation. Applied Linguistics, 40(3), 478–505. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amx047

Lu, W., Tamayo-Verleene, K., Søderberg, A. M., Puffer, S., & Meschke, S. (2024). Exploring the mediating role of cross-cultural adjustment in international student satisfaction. Social Sciences and Humanities Open, 10, 101122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2024.101122

Marvell, A., & Simm, D. (2018). Emotional geographies experienced during international fieldwork: An evaluation of teaching and learning strategies for reflective assessment. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 42(4), 515–530. https://doi.org/10.1080/03098265.2018.1460806

Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldaña, J. (2014). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.

Naelatus, Y., Supriatna, M., Sunarya, Y., & Fahriza, I. (2023). Konstruksi program bimbingan pribadi-sosial dalam meningkatkan empati siswa. G-Couns: Jurnal Bimbingan dan Konseling, 8(1), 468–483. https://doi.org/10.31316/gcouns.v8i01.5175

Nowell, L. S., Norris, J. M., White, D. E., & Moules, N. J. (2017). Thematic analysis: Striving to meet the trustworthiness criteria. International journal of qualitative methods, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406917733847

Palinkas, L. A., Horwitz, S. M., Green, C. A., Wisdom, J. P., Duan, N., & Hoagwood, K. (2015). Purposeful sampling for qualitative data collection and analysis in mixed method implementation research. Administration and policy in mental health and mental health services research, 42(5), 533-544. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-013-0528-y

Panggabean, H. (2015). Problematic approach to English learning and teaching: A case in Indonesia. English Language Teaching, 8(3), 35–45. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v8n3p35

Parr, G., Faulkner, J., & Rowe, C. (2017). Dialogue and reciprocity in an international teaching practicum. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 45(2), 162–179. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359866X.2016.1199774

Timoštšuk, I., & Ugaste, A. (2010). Student teachers’ professional identity. Teaching and Teacher Education, 26(8), 1563–1570. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2010.06.008

Tomaš, Z., Farrelly, R., & Haslam, M. (2008). Designing and implementing the TESOL teaching practicum abroad: Focus on interaction. TESOL Quarterly, 42(4), 660–664. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1545-7249.2008.tb00155.x

Tracy, S. J. (2010). Qualitative quality: Eight “big-tent” criteria for excellent qualitative research. Qualitative inquiry, 16(10), 837-851. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077800410383121

Vick, M. (2006). “It is a difficult matter”: Historical perspectives on the enduring problem of the practicum in teacher preparation. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 34(2), 181–198. https://doi.org/10.1080/13598660600720579

Widodo, H. P., Puspitasari, R., Lestariyana, D., Qonnita, R., Eka, D., & Wardhana, C. (2025). During the teaching practicum, a narrative inquiry into student teachers’ emotions in professional identity construction. Teachers and Teaching, Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2025.2500041

Yildirim, R., & Orsdemir, E. (2019). Through the eyes of young EFL learners: Learning with student teachers. ELT Journal, 73(3), 316–327. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccz010

Yin, H. B., & Lee, J. C. K. (2012). Be passionate, but be rational as well: Emotional rules for Chinese teachers’ work. Teaching and teacher education, 28(1), 56-65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2011.08.005

Young, N. A. E. (2020). Getting the teacher’s attention: Parent–teacher contact and teachers’ behavior in the classroom. Social Forces, 99(2), 560–589. https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/soz177

Yuan, R., & Lee, I. (2014). Pre-service teachers’ changing beliefs in the teaching practicum: Three cases in an EFL context. System, 44, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2014.02.002

Zembylas, M. (2005). Beyond teacher cognition and teacher beliefs: The value of ethnography of emotions in teaching. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 18(4), 465–487. https://doi.org/10.1080/09518390500137642