Abstract
ABSTRACT This article focuses on what student teachers tell about the emotional dimension of their identities with self-portraits. Narrative interviews with self-portraits were conducted with two student teachers in the final stages of their studies. The interviews were analysed by using narrative analysis, followed by a thematic cross-analysis of the two emplotted stories. The findings emphasise the importance of vulnerability as a significant emotional dimension of student teachers’ identities, showing them to be vulnerable in relation to themselves, to others and to cultural teacher stories. From the perspective of student teacher identity construction, it was notable that the student teachers described moments of feeling unsuited to being a teacher, which made them feel vulnerable. The article discusses the meaning of self-portraits for research and for teacher education; telling stories with self-portraits can be used to understand the emotional dimension of student teachers’ narrative identities.
Highlights
This article focuses on what student teachers tell about the emotional dimension of their identities with self-portraits
The findings emphasise the importance of vulnerability as a significant emotional dimension of student teachers’ identities, showing them to be vulnerable in relation to themselves, to others and to cultural teacher stories
The emotional dimension of student teacher identity construction has often been allocated a marginal role in research, and its relative absence from teacher education connects with the difficulty that student teachers may have in talking about their emotions even when opportunities for it are created (Lassila et al, 2017)
Summary
This article focuses on what student teachers tell about the emotional dimension of their identities with self-portraits. The article discusses the meaning of self-portraits for research and for teacher education; telling stories with self-portraits can be used to understand the emotional dimension of student teachers’ narrative identities. Challenges related to the emotional and relational nature of the teaching profession have been seen as possible reasons for teachers leaving their work (Clandinin et al, 2015; Kelchtermans, 2017) These challenges are intertwined with student teacher identities: If a student teacher has a relatively strong image of who they are, it may be hard to fit in with what is expected of teachers in a particular cultural context (Lindqvist & Nordänger, 2016). Interactions with others offer a basis for constructing one’s identity
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