Readiness and Coping Strategies of Non-English Background Teachers in Rural Elementary Schools

Abstract

This study investigates the readiness and coping strategies of non-English background teachers in rural elementary schools who, due to the absence of specialist English teachers, are assigned to teach English in response to Indonesia’s policy mandating English as a compulsory subject from the 2027/2028 academic year. These teachers demonstrate readiness through self-directed digital learning, peer collaboration in regular informal Teacher Working Group (KKG) discussions, and adaptive teaching strategies. Employing a qualitative approach, the study conducted semi-structured online interviews via Zoom platform with three classroom teachers and one school principal from a rural elementary school in Purworejo, and one classroom teacher and one school principal from a rural elementary school in Lampung. In addition, teaching documents were collected from the teachers. The thematic analysis found that all four teachers, despite never having received formal English language teaching training, demonstrated considerable professional resilience through adaptive coping strategies such as self-directed digital learning and peer collaboration. The most prominent challenges encompassed non-English educational backgrounds, pronunciation difficulties shaped by first language (L1) Javanese interference, and limited infrastructure. School principals highlighted the absence of specialist English teachers as a critical concern. By documenting how non-English background teachers independently develop coping strategies in the absence of formal training, this study offers new empirical insight into teacher-level readiness for Indonesia’s English mandate in rural, resource-constrained schools—an aspect that has received limited attention in prior research. These findings suggest the urgent need for structured teacher training programmes, professional learning communities, and policy-level deployment of specialist English teachers to rural primary schools before full curriculum implementation.