Feeling like a student but thinking like a teacher: a study of the development of professional identity in initial teacher education

Abstract

This paper draws upon a wider piece of research aimed at investigating professional identity development in initial teacher education. It is based upon the view of identity as a dynamic and multifaceted process and initial teacher education as a key context for its development. Data reported in this paper are part of a broader project carried out in Portugal and was collected through written narratives with 20 student teachers. In this paper findings arising from student teachers' accounts are presented, according to the main emerging themes: i) feeling like a student and thinking like a teacher; ii) confronting present and past experiences: inner tensions and dilemmas; iii) raising awareness of the complexity of the classroom context; iv) the teaching profession: aspirations and concerns of prospective teachers. Implications of the findings for initial teacher education are discussed.

‘Those who fail should not be teachers’: Pre-service Teachers’ Understandings of Failure and Teacher Identity Development

“…It is through reflection in constructing the narratives that pre-service teachers make sense of their experience and begin to understand themselves as teachers (Walkington 2005) through the interplay between the personal and the professional (Flores 2001;Beijaard and Meijer 2017). Building on Lee and Schallert (2016), we see that developing a teacher identity during initial teacher education also involves shifting between perspectives or identities of a learner and teacher (Flores 2020), and that developing a teacher identity is an all-encompassing process of gaining understanding of oneself as a teacher, but also developing one's pedagogical and relational views pertaining to teacher's work, professional values, and beliefs about teaching and learning (Flores and Day 2006;Beijaard, Meijer, and Verloop 2004;Timoštšuk and Ugaste 2010). Arguably, as acknowledged by Sachs (2005), teacher identity is a powerful interpretative framework within which teachers develop their own ideas regarding the teaching profession.…”

“…Most pre-service teachers addressed each question separately, however some provided one collective answer to the three questions. The questions were purposively designed to require various perspective taking, for example, that of a pre-service teacher, that of a teacher and that of a student (see also Lee and Schallert 2016;Flores 2020).…”

“…The analysis of pre-service teachers' writings in terms of their understandings of the relation between learner and teacher failure tells us that pre-service teachers see this relation as inextricable and it is this specific relation that defines them, that makes them see themselves as teachers in particular ways. This relation raised selfconcerns about the adequacy to be a teacher, motives and commitment to the profession and the need to strive for development and growth as teachers (Flores 2020).…”

“…Teacher identity has been under scrutiny for a good couple of decades and for a good reason: 'What teachers do cannot be distinguished from who they are' (Banner and Cannon 1997, 43). The process of developing a teacher identity has been greatly explored in initial teacher education of both class and subject teachers (Flores 2020;McKay 2019;Lee and Schallert 2014;Timoštšuk and Ugaste 2010). While much is known about teacher identity development, Lee and Schallert (2016) observed that 'it is not clear which aspects are relevant and to what extent these aspects are integrated in such identity development' (77).…”

“…While much is known about teacher identity development, Lee and Schallert (2016) observed that 'it is not clear which aspects are relevant and to what extent these aspects are integrated in such identity development' (77). Additionally, Flores (2020) recently highlighted the need to explore further the variety of influences on teacher identity during initial teacher education in order to better support the process of becoming a teacher. Despite the vast research, teacher identity remains 'of vital concern to teacher education; it is the basis of meaning making and decision making' (Bullough 1997, 21).…”