Status versus nature of work: pre-service language teachers envisioning their future profession

Abstract

Considering the central role of identity in understanding teacher development, this paper addresses the ways in which pre-service language teachers envision their identities as future professionals. The paper is based on a qualitative study of 61 students’ visualisations of their future work during their first semester in language teacher education. The visualisations and accompanying descriptive texts were analysed using the principles of qualitative content analysis. In the analysis, two different ways of perceiving future professions, and thereby identities as professionals, were identified. The first was a nature-oriented perspective that focused on desired characteristics of the profession, its activities, environment and social relationships, and the other a status-oriented perspective that focused on the societal status of the profession. The nature-oriented perspective was further divided into three subcategories that illustrated different career options. The implications of the different ideal professional selves for teacher education are also highlighted.