Evolution of the Concept of the Teaching Profession in Secondary School Teacher Training

Abstract

A key moment in the construction of Secondary School teachers’ professional identity takes place during the Master's Degree that qualifies and enables them to be teachers for this educational stage. Thus, one of the main objectives of the initial training for future teachers is to spark a shift in their preconceptions regarding teachers.The objective of this study is to analyze the shift in their professional image undergone by students in the Master's Degree in Compulsory Secondary Education, Upper Secondary Education, Vocational Training and Language Teaching in the Faculty of Psychology and Education at the University of Deusto.Eighty-six students –graduating classes of 2013 and 2014– of the Master's Degree in Secondary Education Teacher Training took part in this study. They completed a questionnaire consisting of a series of open-ended questions regarding teacher identity.Results indicate that the initial teacher training sparks a shift in the conception future teachers have of the teaching profession. The Master's Degree has helped them get to know teachers’ professional profile and to become aware of the complexity involved in their performance, because of the number of duties and their difficulty. Initial training has allowed them to recognize the importance of the teachers’ role and to change their professional concept.