Abstract
The current study used mixed methods to research pre-service teachers’ professional identity. Ninety-eight pre-service teachers were investigated and twelve teachers were interviewed in China. The results were as follows: (1) The results of quantitative data showed that compared with before the field teaching practice, pre-service teachers’ professional identity increased after the field teaching practice—specifically, intrinsic value identity increased, and extrinsic value identity did not significantly change; (2) The results of qualitative data validated and elaborated the results of quantitative data in more detail with regard to changes in professional identity. Specifically, compared with before the field teaching practice, intrinsic value identity including work content, work pattern, etc., increased and extrinsic value identity including work environment, income, and social status, etc., did not significantly change after experiencing teaching practice; (3) The results of qualitative data also showed that mentor support at field school promoted the development of pre-service teachers’ professional identity. Moreover, the development of pre-service teachers’ professional identity during field teaching practice further promoted their professional commitment; that is, it promoted their emotional evaluation and belief in the teaching profession. The study discussed these results and proposed solutions and suggestions for future studies.
Highlights
Teachers’ Professional IdentityTeachers’ professional identity is an important research field
The results showed that there was significant difference in overall professional identity (t(97) = −2.26, 95% CI [−0.27, −0.02], p = 0.03), intrinsic value identity (t(97) = −4.12, 95% CI [−0.38, −0.13], p = 0.00), and extrinsic value identity (t(97) = −0.31, 95% CI [−0.22, 0.16], p = 0.76)
The results indicated that the overall professional identity increased, intrinsic value identity increased, and extrinsic value identity kept steady
Summary
Teachers’ professional identity is an important research field. It is a core element of teachers’ professional lives, and a “resource that people use to explain, justify, and make sense of themselves in relation to others, and to the world at large” Teachers’ professional identity has a widespread effect on a teachers’ teaching, professional development, and staying in the teaching profession, etc., and influences individual teaching effects by affecting their concrete behaviors in the process of teaching (Korthagen, 2004). Teachers’ short- and longterm decisions about curriculum design, pedagogy, assessment, and student learning are limited by their understanding of their teacher identity (Mockler, 2011). Sammons et al (2007) conducted a study with a large-scale, longitudinal research in England.
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