A Case Study on Student Teacher Professional Identity Construction During the Education Practicum

• In Event: Preservice and In-Service Teachers' Identities and Development

Abstract

Guided by three synthesized sociocultural theoretical frameworks for understanding teacher professional identity (TPI) construction (e.g., Davies & Harre, 1990; Engeström, 2015; Lave & Wenger, 1991), this case study examined TPI construction among student teachers of a normal university in China during their education practicum. We adopted mixed-methods sequential explanatory design.The participants are senior students who have completed education practicum at the assigned placement schools. The data included questionnaires, focus group interview transcripts and education practicum reports. The findings revealed that within placement school context, student teachers constructed a high level of student TPI. Their professional identity is constructed by forming an understanding of the teaching profession, gaining teacher knowledge, interacting with people and acting as role models and classroom managers.

Authors

• Ming Yi, Shenyang Normal University

• Jingxin Cheng, University of Missouri - St. Louis

• Xiaodi Li, University of Missouri - St. Louis