Lia Haryana, Utami Widiati
Prompted by limited investigations on perceptions about effective English teachers from Teacher Professional Education Program (TPEP) students, this study aims to elicit information regarding the most important characteristics of an effective English teacher. A total of forty TPEP students majoring in English Language Teaching (ELT) at a university in Sumatra Island, a province of Indonesia, were recruited. Data were collected by using a questionnaire adapted from Park and Lee (2006), Ramazani (2014), and Kwangsawad (2017) and then analyzed descriptively. The results showed that, in terms of pedagogical knowledge, the TPEP students perceived monitoring students’ understanding during instruction and preparing the lesson well as the most important characteristics. Regarding subject-matter competence, the respondents considered mastering the teaching materials and knowing about the core and basic competences stated in the national curriculum as essential abilities that effective English teachers should have. Discussing teacher-student relationships, the most important characteristics were treating the students fairly, not discriminating against them, and encouraging them to develop self-confidence. In terms of personal qualities, the most important characteristics were being confident and having an interest in their job. The findings indicate that TPEP students have a sufficient understanding of characteristics that make English teachers effective. © 2026, Asociacion Mexicana de Maestros de Ingles MEXTESOL A.C. All rights reserved.
Universitas Bengkulu, Kandang Limun, Bengkulu, Indonesia; Universitas Negeri Malang, East Java, Malang, Indonesia
