The Innovative and Research Professional Identity of Future Early Years and Primary School Teachers and Their Relationship with Psychological Well-Being

Gloria Pérez De Albéniz-Garrote,María Begoña Medina Gómez

doi:10.3390/su12208593

Gloria Pérez De Albéniz-Garrote, María Begoña Medina Gómez

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/su12208593

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Journal: Sustainability	Publication Date: Oct 16, 2020
Citations: 6	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: University of Burgos

Abstract

Teacher’s professional identity (TPI) is an essential and decisive element in the way future EY and primary teachers approach their labour. This study aims to analyse how and when student teachers build TPI and to study its relationship with personal well-being. The sample was made up of 135 students of the Faculty of Education of the University of Burgos (Spain), aged 18–44. A questionnaire elaborated ad hoc and an individual psychological well-being scale were both implemented. The results suggest that training activities, initially scheduled by the university courses, are those which most contribute to the building of a TPI; that there seem to be no differences in relation to gender and year of study in the factors which contribute to its development, regardless of whether it is rather innovative or research-oriented and that there is a relationship between types of TPI, as well as between these and the satisfaction with academic choice, and psychological well-being. Future teachers should build a solid TPI which enables them to successfully adapt to complex educational settings and encourages them to innovate. It is necessary to gradually make room for reflection from the beginning of the university training, as this could improve the future professional performance and the students’ psychological well-being.

Highlights

One’s own professional picture gradually develops through a process of reflection fostered by interactions with other individuals who perform the same tasks
As for the first goal, “explore the activities which contribute to the development of Teacher’s professional identity (TPI) in future EY and primary teachers”, Table 1 shows that, under practical work in different courses, oral presentations, reading of scientific articles, and practical classroom exercises, scores are above average—both in the total sample and in that of each of the years of study
As for the second goal, ”analyse the views about research TPI in future EY and primary teachers (Table 2) depending on gender and year of study”, no relevant differences have been found between men and women, except under the item “Would you like to participate in a research project on, for instance, how to better manage diversity?”

Summary

Introduction

One’s own professional picture gradually develops through a process of reflection fostered by interactions with other individuals who perform the same tasks. For some authors, it is in these interactions where professional identity is formed by means of socially recognised identifications, representations and attributions which make one group different from others [1]. A teacher’s professional identity (hereinafter abbreviated as TPI) is an essential and decisive element in the way EY and primary teachers approach their labour and depends on a range of professional and personal circumstances [3]. Cattonar [4] defines TPI as a continuous process of explanation and reinterpretation of life experiences which becomes developed in a collective, contextual, and singular manner

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