A Study on New Teachers’ Identity and Possible-Selves: Pre-Service EFL Teachers’ Fears and Expectations

Abstract

There is a little doubt that becoming a teacher is a long and challenging journey where student teachers/teacher candidates undergo a variety of processes, phases and transformations. Beauchamp and Thomas (2009) points out that examining new teacher identity can be considered as an important step to develop more effective teacher training programmes and identity development of a teacher is related to understanding the notion of ‘self’. In relation to the idea of being lifelong ever-growing and ongoing, teacher identity is defined as a process in which teachers constantly re-interpret their experiences (Beijaard, Verloop ve Vermunt, 2004). This study investigates the possible-selves of pre-service EFL teachers in relation to the concept of new teacher identity. Aim of the study is to measure possible selves new teachers expect to become and fear becoming in the near feature. In order to achieve this goal, ‘New Teacher Possible Selves Questionnaire’ (Hanmann, Wang and Burley, 2013; Dalioğlu and Adıgüzel, 2015) is used to measure EFL teacher candidates’ expected teacher possible-selves and feared teacher possible-selves. A six point Likert type scale of questionnaire consisting two parts ( expected and feared teacher possible selves) is applied to pre-service EFL teachers from different universities who are involved to the data collection procedure. Statistical analysis is employed to measure the results of the questionnaire gathered from participants. The interpretation of the outcomes of the data analysis will be discussed; pedagogical implications and suggestions for future research will be shared during the presentation.