Cultivating Professional Identity: The Vital Role of Practical Teaching Experience for Future Educators

Abstract

This article endeavors to investigate the impact of three years of teaching experience acquired during student teaching training on the professional identity of aspiring educators. The ensuing literature review expounds upon the concepts of identity and professional identity. To scrutinize this subject comprehensively, a quantitative study was conducted, the details of which are elucidated in the subsequent section devoted to research methodology. The findings of this study underscore the paramount significance of fostering a sense of belonging and mission as integral components that underpin the means of support, adaptability, and PI development, particularly pertinent to student teachers and, especially, those immersed in the practical experience phase, as discerned through their self-perceptions. The principal conclusions and insights drawn from the cumulative body of research evidence underscore that, despite the recent recognition accorded the pedagogical training processes and their multifaceted impact on various aspects of a student’s life as a future educator, the teaching profession still remains underappreciated. Remarkably, the unanticipated discovery that surfaced during this research underscores the heightened importance of active engagement in teaching experience as an indispensable element in the formulation and refinement of a future graduate poised to spearhead trajectory of education in the forthcoming generations. The investigation surveyed 216 students pursuing teaching degrees, analyzing their professional identity development throughout their academic journey. Results revealed a positive association between the students’ advancement in their training curriculum and the enhancement of their professional identity. Specifically, as students progressed further in their studies, there was a discernible growth in their identification with the teaching profession.