The impact of teaching practice experience in shaping pre-service teachers’ professional identities

Abstract

Entering into the teaching profession does not require a teacher’s interest alone. Instead, it involves the acquisition of skills and knowledge so as to become an effective teacher. In order to be well-prepared and to cope with the responsibilities at the school to which they will be posted after they graduate, pre-service teachers need to master all pertinent theories as well as how to put them into practice. This research aims to study those factors that impact upon the development of student teachers’ professional identities. The research participants were three pre-service teachers who were undergoing teaching practice in three secondary schools. The data was generated through semi-structured interviews and the analysis was done using thematic analysis. The findings indicate that among the factors mentioned, the factor of students was the most significant. Other factors included assistance from mentors, supervisors and colleagues. This paper discusses the implications of these findings on the importance of surrounding factors in schools in shaping student teachers’ identities.