When I Shall Be a Teacher: Exploring Expectations of Honors Student Teachers About Working as Novices

• In Event: Achieving Professional Identity: Beyond Knowledge and Skill

Abstract

The transition into teaching often creates gaps between reality and vision that result in attrition. This study explores the expectations of students in a national honors teacher education program about working as novices, the probabilities for these expectations to happen and the sources of their expectations. Findings from 592 students present a coherent map of expectations that are probably going to occur and are mostly anchored in personal perceptions and beliefs. The high profile of these students and their challenging pre-service program might explain these promising results and predict more resilience as beginning teachers. We propose the Expectations' Carousel for investigating expectations in pre-service education and suggest applying it in other professions beyond teaching as a generic learning scheme.

Authors

• Tamar Ariav, Beit Berl Academic College

• Ditza Maskit, Gordon College of Education

• Rama Klavir