Why did I decide to go into teaching? Voices and identity positions of trainee teachers of Primary Education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21703/rexe.v23i53.2663Keywords:
Dialogical Self, Teacher identity, I-positions, Voices, Teachers in trainingAbstract
Literature recognizes the importance of understanding the development of the teaching identity of pre-service teachers in order to provide support and prevent desertion. However, the lack of studies that capture the voice of pre-service teachers persists. This interpretive qualitative research, based on Dialogical Self Theory, explores the voices that influence the decision to become a teacher and the identity positions that students adopt regarding what it means to be a teacher. Participants included 33 first-year and 40 fourth-year students a Primary Education Teaching Degree in Chile, who completed an online questionnaire with four open questions, to which content analysis was applied. In the first year, the dominant voice in the decision to become a teacher was For the pleasure of teaching, while in the fourth year it was To generate changes in society. In addition, the significant influence of My teachers in the decision to become a teacher was highlighted. Two main positions emerged: I-as-trainer and I-as-agent-of-change. It is concluded that, despite differences in years of training, both cohorts positioned themselves by integrating their personal history and expectations for the future, influenced by significant voices. The understanding of this process is fundamental for the formation and permanence in the profession of future teachers.
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