The quality of education is influenced by many factors, one of which is the quality of the teachers. In the spirit of fostering a strong and resilient young generation, teachers in the capital city of Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT), Kupang, attempted to break through their limitations in order to form their identity. This research investigated how novice and experienced teachers shifted their vulnerability into professional identity and to what extent this strategy impacted on their professional identity construction in a Junior High School in Kupang. This research presented a thematic analysis on their expectation and anxiety, their strategies and how these strategies helped them to build their identity. Results from data analysis clearly indicated that without critical reflections and actions, both novice and experienced teachers could undergo burnt out when dealing with their vulnerability.

This research investigated how Indonesian EFL learners attributed their successes and failures in reading comprehension and whether or not there was any correlation between attributional beliefs and EFL learners’ monitoring strategies in reading. The researchers distributed Attributional Beliefs Questionnaire (ABQ) and Reading Monitoring Strategies Questionnaire (RMSQ) to undergraduate students in the third semester (n=36) of a private university in Kupang, the capital city of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province. The data were analyzed using Pearson Correlation scale. Six students were selected to be interviewed to obtain qualitative data. Based on the results, 56% of students attributed their successes and failures in reading to the internal factors (efforts and strategies) rather than the external ones (reading text and learning environment). There was a moderate and insignificant correlation between attributional beliefs and reading monitoring strategies with r=0.51. It indicated that students need to regulate themselves and navigate their learning based on their attributional beliefs or they would experience learned helplessness. This research offered two implications for the teaching of reading among Indonesian EFL learners. In order to gain a greater opportunity to experience more reading success, language teachers were recommended to introduce attribution concepts and implement all reading strategies to their students.

This research investigated how Indonesian EFL learners attributed their successes and failures in reading comprehension and whether or not there was any correlation between attributional beliefs and EFL learners’ monitoring strategies in reading. The researchers distributed Attributional Beliefs Questionnaire (ABQ) and Reading Monitoring Strategies Questionnaire (RMSQ) to undergraduate students in the third semester (n=36) of a private university in Kupang, the capital city of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province. The data were analyzed using Pearson Correlation scale. Six students were selected to be interviewed to obtain qualitative data. Based on the results, 56% of students attributed their successes and failures in reading to the internal factors (efforts and strategies) rather than the external ones (reading text and learning environment). There was a moderate and insignificant correlation between attributional beliefs and reading monitoring strategies with r=0.51. It indicated that students need to regulate themselves and navigate their learning based on their attributional beliefs or they would experience learned helplessness. This research offered two implications for the teaching of reading among Indonesian EFL learners. In order to gain a greater opportunity to experience more reading success, language teachers were recommended to introduce attribution concepts and implement all reading strategies to their students.