Self-Assessed Professional Competence of the High School EFL Teachers in Toraja Indonesia

Abstract

The teaching of English as a foreign language (EFL) in Toraja is influenced by the quality of teachers from elementary to university level. The Ministry of National Education in Indonesia has stipulated four competencies that should be mastered by teachers: pedagogical competence, professional competence, personal competence, and social competence. The professional competences of foreign language teachers include a knowledge of various aspects of language in English (linguistics, discourse, sociolinguistic and strategic) and mastery of oral and written English language. The purpose of this study is to identify the perceived level of professional competence of high school EFL teachers in Toraja. For this study, 31 high school EFL Teachers in Toraja were chosen randomly from both public and private schools. Data was collected from questionnaires administered in person and by e-mail. The descriptive statistical results of this research show that half of the teachers reported themselves to have only a fair level of professional competence. This suggests the need for in-service training or professional development activities for high school EFL teachers in this region in order to improve their competence and confidence in teaching English.