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Document 1 of 1
The
Impact of Teaching Practice Experience in Shaping Pre-Service Teachers'
Professional Identities
Author: Khalid,
Fariza, PhD
Abstract: This
research aims to study the factors that impact upon the development of student
teachers' professional identities. The research participants were three
pre-service teachers who were undergoing teaching practice in three secondary
schools. The data were generated through semi-structured interviews and the
analysis was done using thematic analysis. The findings indicate that among the
factors mentioned, the factor of students was the most significant. Other
factors included assistance from mentors, supervisors and colleagues. This
paper discusses the implications of these findings on the importance of
surrounding factors in schools in shaping student teachers' identities.
Full text: Headnote
Abstract
Entering into the teaching profession does not require a
teacher's interest alone. Instead, it involves the acquisition of skills and
knowledge so as to become an effective teacher. In order to be well-prepared
and to cope with the responsibilities at the school to which they will be
posted after they graduate, pre-service teachers need to master all pertinent
theories as well as how to put them into practice. This research aims to study
those factors that impact upon the development of student teachers'
professional identities. The research participants were three pre-service
teachers who were undergoing teaching practice in three secondary schools. The
data was generated through semi-structured interviews and the analysis was done
using thematic analysis. The findings indicate that among the factors
mentioned, the factor of students was the most significant. Other factors
included assistance from mentors, supervisors and colleagues. This paper
discusses the implications of these findings on the importance of surrounding
factors in schools in shaping student teachers' identities.
Keywords: professional identity, professional development,
pre-service teachers, mentoring
1. Introduction
In order to become effective, teachers have to be
professionally prepared. Teachers therefore need to be trained and must
experience continuing professional development so as to become more effective
(Harris, 2002). One of the ways to maintain and enhance the quality of teaching
and learning in schools is through professional development (Hargreaves, 1994;
Harland and Kinder, 1997). For pre-service teachers, teaching practice is one
of key elements in their training (Haigh and Tuck, 1999; Hill and Brodin,
2004), which aims to provide student teachers with experience in teaching and
learning in and outside the classroom as well as to enhance the development of
their character so as to become ethical and professional (Kennedy, 2006).
Teaching practice is also aimed at providing social experience to student
teachers within an actual school situation, and is considered a platform for
determining whether the trainee is able to translate theory into practice (Abd
Main, 1996).
Some past studies have proven that teaching practice helped
pre-service teachers to have better discussions with lecturers and mentors, and
thus managed to help pre-service teachers to determine the approaches to use
and their implications in teaching (Botha and Reddy, 2011; Agbo, 2003). In
addition, teaching practice was found to help preservice teachers to enhance
those skills related to problem identification, decision making and the
selection of approaches to overcome problems in classroom situations, and that
it was incredibly significant in developing pre-service teachers' confidence in
themselves (Subahan et al., 1987). Apart from teaching in classrooms,
pre-service teachers also gather experience related to the areas of management
and administration of schools, as well as the management of extra-curricular
activities. Taking these factors into account, teaching practice is a
fundamental program for the improvement of teaching quality among pre-service
teachers as it provides pre-service teachers with skills, attitudes and
responsibilities that are different from what they experience as students
(Zakaria and Abdul Rahman, 1995).
2. Teachers' Identities
A simple definition of identity is posited by Deschamps and
Devos (1998) as 'what makes you similar to yourself and different from others'
(p. 3). Meanwhile, Beijaard et al. (1995) offer the concept of identity as 'who
or what someone is, the various meanings someone can attach to oneself or the
meaning attributed to oneself by others' (p. 282).
Day et al. (2007) classify identity into three categories:
professional, situated and personal identities. Professional identity,
according to Day et al. (2007), is 'open to the influence of long-term policy
and social trends as to what constitutes a good teacher, classroom practitioner
etc.' (p. 107). Professional identity from this perspective covers a teacher's
role, responsibilities, workload, continuing professional development (CPD) and
policy which focuses more on a professional perspective in terms of an
individual's self-image and how they relate themselves to their profession and
surrounding factors:
Who and what they are, their self-image, the meanings they
attach to themselves and their work, and the meanings that are attributed to
them by others - are, then associated with both the subject they teach, their
relationships with the pupils they teach, their roles and the connections
between these and their lives outside school. (Day et al., 2007, p. 53)
Situated identity, according to Day et al. (2007), is
located within a specific school, department or classroom and is 'affected by
pupils, support and feedback loops from teacher's immediate working context
which is connected to longterm identity' (p. 107). The third category is
personal identity, which is based on life outside of school, and covers
teachers' identities as fathers, mothers, sons and so on.
The literature shows that teachers' performance of their
professional roles is closely related to the way they construct the nature of
their work as well as their personal life experiences (Goodson and Hargreaves,
1996). Nias (1989) and Hargreaves (1994) also point out that teachers'
identities are not only developed through their knowledge of classroom
management, their subject knowledge or their pupils' test results, but also 'as
the result of an interaction between the personal experiences of teachers and
the social, cultural, and institutional environment in which they function on a
daily basis' (Sleegers and Kelchtermans, 1999, p. 579). Day (2004) therefore
stresses that in order to become effective, committed and passionate about
teaching, teachers should develop a positive sense of identity which includes
the way they value their subject, relationships and roles. Other researchers
(Ahmad, 2007; Beijaard et al., 1995; Goodson and Hargreaves, 1996; Hargreaves
and Goodson, 1996; Nias, 1989) also highlight the significance of teachers'
personal lives as one of the factors that greatly influences teachers' identity
development. In addition, the subject they teach, their pupils' behavior
(Beijaard et al., 1995), feedback from family and friends, their professional
life phase (Day et al., 2007), the influence of former teachers and relatives,
and their initial training program (Flores and Day, 2006) can all become
sources of a teacher's sense of identity.
In addition to the significance of teaching practice to
enhance the effectiveness of trainee teachers, there has been other research
that has been conducted to study other aspects related to teaching practice,
particularly in the context of Malaysian teacher education. Ahmad Zanzali and
Asri Atjeng (n.d.), for example, studied the factors that influenced trainee
teachers' confidence in their teaching skills, while Ali et al. (2011) examined
the extent to which student teachers could successfully implement pedagogical
theories in their actual classrooms. Research into the role of supervisors in
supporting student teachers to cultivate sound attitudes and skills regarding
the teaching profession has been conducted by Salimon (1989), who focused on
supervisors' attitude, knowledge, skills, communication skills and assessment.
Despite these interesting pieces of research, however, there have been very few
studies conducted on how the experiences that pre-service teachers gather
through their practical teaching develop their professional identities. This
research, therefore, aims to study the factors that, for these pre-service
teachers, give meaning to the development of their professional identities.
3. Objective
The objective of this study is to explore the extent to
which the experience gained during 14 weeks of teaching practice impacted upon
the construction of the identities of student teachers.
4. Methodology
This is a small scale preliminary qualitative case study
based on interviews of three female pre-service teachers who were undergoing
teaching practice in three secondary schools in an urban area. Two of the
schools are day schools, while the other is a fully residential school. All
three pre-service teachers were interviewed for a total of two hours each using
a prepared semi-structured interview protocol. Data was analyzed using thematic
analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2006).
5. Findings
5.1 Motivation to become a teacher
When asked to share what motivated them to choose the
education program, the teachers all named more than one factor. All three
participants explained that the reason why they chose the education program at
university was due to their own interest in becoming a teacher. Some of the
teachers had had the ambition to teach since they were small, and some of the
teachers were motivated by their own past experiences teaching their friends
during their years in secondary school. For example:
I chose to take this course [education]' as I would love to
become a teacher. I think teaching suits me and I loved to help my friends with
their homework when I was in secondary school. (Myra)
Apart from their own interests, the teachers named their
families as one of their influences, and two of the teachers were from teaching
families, with fathers and other siblings who were teachers. Having been
brought up in teaching families seemed to cultivate their interest in teaching.
An example of parental influence on a participant's selection of profession
follows:
One of the main reasons [why I choose the teaching
profession] was definitely my father. My father is a teacher. He told me that
teaching would suit me and as a woman, being a teacher means having more time
with family [as school hours are normally from 7.30am to 2pm]. (Jenny)
In addition to these two factors, peers also seemed to be an
important factor in the participants' selection of the education program at
university. All three participants revealed that the decision to choose the
education program was indirectly impacted by their friends or peers who were
also taking the same program. Being in the same group of friends whom they had
known for years made them feel more secure and motivated to keep up their
studies (Myra). This finding indicates that these participants were influenced
not only by their own decision to enter the teaching profession but were also
impacted by others in their lives.
5.2 Useful experiences trainees gained from their teaching
practice
The data analysis shows some emerging patterns in terms of
how the participants' emotions, feelings and attitudes had grown throughout the
period of their teaching practice. Two of the participants found their first
day of teaching practice a 'challenging' moment, as one of them described:
It was my first day at school and I was asked to enter the
class and teach one topic given by my mentor. I felt overwhelmed as I had not
prepared for this. I was nervous, and even more when I found out that it was
the best class ... The students were bright students and they might ask things
that I might not know the answers to! (Myra)
Another student teacher said:
My first time teaching form four students [16 years old] was
a fhghtening experience. Although I knew that I had done some homework I hardly
felt confident! I noticed myself keep referring to the textbook, which was so
humiliating. I could not focus on what to do next. I forgot what I had planned.
(Shira)
It was interesting to learn that the participants found that
they slowly changed and their confidence levels gradually developed after
teaching several times. One of the student teachers said:
After few weeks here, I think I am getting used to this
situation. I have memorized all my students' names, and this has made it easier
for me to pose questions, and I feel more connected to my students. I can now
make some jokes and cover my nervousness. (Jenny)
Another student teacher answered:
My first few weeks ... I think I really depended on
textbooks ... I kept looking at those books that I put on the table [laughs]
and the students might have thought howbohng I was! So I discussed it with a
teacher from this school and she gave me some suggestions, I mean ideal ones
... She suggested that I do a forum, where a few students would come out in
front of the class and talk over the topic. So I thed it, and it worked
wonders! The students loved the session and I could see that they were
enthusiastic and enjoyed the class... Well, yeah ... It was a really satisfying
moment. (Jenny)
Apart from teaching in classrooms, the student teachers were
also exposed to other managerial tasks, such as conducting sports days, hosting
talks with visitors from outside the school, training students who were
participating in quizzes at a national level and learning how to mark exam
papers by following marking schemes appropriately. All these experiences were
considered fruitful. One of participants said:
It was unexpected, at least for me, that I would have so
much experience while at this school. I have learned to be humble, friendly to
all teachers and always willing to lend a hand. It was such a wonderful
experience when I felt accepted. These teachers were so down to earth and very
open to share their experiences with a newcomer like me. I felt blessed and
positive. (Myra)
It is also important to note that the student teachers also
learned about being more rational when approaching things. They claimed that
they felt more confident in socializing with other people, both younger and older
(Jenny), and also not to be selfish. It is important to be able to collaborate
with other teachers, as the student teachers learned new things from that,
especially about management and decision-making processes. Overall, the
teaching practice period provided these pre-service teachers with valuable
experiences, not only related to classroom skills but also to extracurricular
activities, as stated above.
5.3 Factors influencing the development of student
teachers'professional Identities
The overall findings reveal five main factors cited by these
pre-service teachers as significantly shaping their professional identities:
students, mentors, supervisors, school culture, and colleagues.
5.3.1 Students
The findings show that students could be a positive or a
negative influence on these pre-service teachers. A negative influence could be
students' attitudes, as Jenny complained about having students who did not pay
attention to her explanations, which made her feel down and impatient. Shira
also pointed out that she felt overwhelmed when seeing some students who acted
disrespectfully, as she assumed that the students looked down on her because
she was a trainee. However, more often, the participants agreed that students
had a great influence in improving them professionally. For example, Jenny
found herself driven to do more homework and to gather extra information on
certain topics due to her students' questions. One of the classes she was
assigned to teach was a high-achieving class, and students in that class would
ask her 'unexpected' questions about the subject. Although she had to work
harder in order to be prepared, it was a satisfying experience for her. For
example:
There was one student in my class who always posed tricky
questions which I usually could not answer instantly. But I saw him as a
motivation for me to study extra reading materials so as to meet his
expectations! I was afraid that I would not be able to answer his questions,
(Jenny)
Another teacher, Shira, described how her relationships with
her students had increased her passion towards teaching. She admitted feeling
sad about leaving the school where she had had her teaching practice, as she
felt a strong bond with her students. This feeling, according to her, had given
her more motivation to become a good teacher in the future.
5.3.2 Mentors
For each trainee, one teacher who is currently teaching at
the school where the trainee is doing their teaching practice is appointed as a
mentor. The mentor's role is to give advice to the student teacher and coach
them to become a better teacher in practice. The findings show that all the
teachers in this study appreciated their mentors for sharing fruitful
experiences and giving them meaningful advice so as to make their classroom
activities more diverse and suited to the students' needs. One of them said:
Madam Nani was so great. She was an expert teacher, who was
never reluctant to share her knowledge with me. The way the she treated me was
just like I was her daughter. In fact, I called her 'ibu' [Malay word for
mother]. She taught me things that are not written in textbooks. She made
things easy to handle. (Jenny)
5.3.3 Supervisors
As well as a mentor, student teachers are also attached to a
supervisor who is one of their lecturers from university, whose role is related
to assessing the participants' teaching practice. Supervisors play an important
role in helping the student teachers to improve their practice in the
classroom. At least three observations should be done at three different times
during the period of the teaching practice. A supervisor will provide feedback
based on the observation. The participants felt that a good relationship with
their supervisor had enhanced their opportunities to share their problems and
to learn from their supervisor. One of the supervisors was said to give written
reports to the students, and this helped them to work on their feedback, for
example:
My supervisor was my motivator actually. Our close
relationship made it feel easy for me to ask her anything that I was not sure
of. She also supervised my dissertation and she did well in terms of giving
support and constructive feedback. What was special about her supervision was
the fact that she actually prepared a written report about her reflections on
my teaching and posted it in our Facebook group. I could read the report many
times and I shared it with colleagues too. The way she commented made me want
to improve. She never belittled her students. (Myra)
My supervisor was an understanding person. She knew that we
were busy with daily classes and at the same time we were required to finish
writing our dissertations. She gave us space to interact online, so I did not
have to travel from my school to campus to have consultations with my
supervisor. She was pro-active too. Once in a while she would send me a message
asking about my progress, which helped me to stay alert and prepared. (Jenny)
5.3.4 Colleagues
Colleagues in this context refers to the student teachers'
classmates at university and also other pre-service teachers from other
universities who were undertaking their teaching practice at the same school.
It was indicated that colleagues played an important role in giving support to
each other during their teaching practice period. Sharing the same goals and
similar experiences made their presences significant in shaping their
identities as teachers-to-be. All of the research participants experienced a
positive impact from their colleagues. According to the participants, having
colleagues with whom to share ideas and stories made them more confident and at
the same time reduced their stress.
The participants were asked to rank the factors from most
significant to least. Table 1 depicts the findings.
This finding shows four main factors mentioned by these
student teachers: students, mentors, supervisors and colleagues. For example:
The first thing would be my students, whom I think gave me
the motivation to improve and who made me satisfied with what I did. The second
thing would be my mentor, thirdly my supervisor, and then my colleagues who are
currently doing their teaching practice here. (Jenny)
I would stress the factor of students as I think students
had the most valuable impact on my sense of being a teacher. Not forgotten is
my mentor, who shared lots of fruitful advice with me. Other teachers too... I
like being at this school, as all of the teachers are friendly and show me good
examples of being good teachers, and I must mention my supervisor too. (Myra)
All student teachers agreed that the factor of students was
the most significant; however, they varied in terms of the ranking of other
factors. Although two of them cited their mentor in second position, another
student teacher named her colleagues. The difference in the positioning of
these factors might be caused by the differences between the schools where the
participants were doing their teaching practice and due to individual
differences. However, this finding reveals the importance of these four factors
in shaping student teachers' professional identities during their teaching
practice period.
6. Conclusion
It can be seen from the findings that teachers' professional
identities can be affected not only by their own selves, but also by
significant others like their family members. For the participants in this
study, their decision to become teachers was partly influenced by their parents
(see Section 5.1). This is in line with other researchers' findings (Ahmad,
2007; Beijaard et al., 1995; Goodson and Hargreaves, 1996; Hargreaves and
Goodson, 1996; Nias, 1989), which highlight the significance of teachers'
personal lives or families in the development of their identities.
Another finding reveals that the experiences the
participants had and the people they met during the teaching practice period
were vital in shaping the way they valued themselves, including their
commitment, motivation and the satisfaction of becoming a trainee teacher.
These findings confirm others' findings (Beijaard et al., 2005; Nias, 1989),
which stress the importance of students in shaping the way teachers feel about
themselves, including their confidence and job satisfaction. The presence of
mentors and supervisors were also seen to be crucial for these pre-service
teachers to improve and to vary their teaching techniques and the design of
their teaching in the classroom. Overall, their experiences at school (the
working climate, colleagues, pupils, the classroom climate and their
involvement in school activities) all influenced the achievement of
'satisfaction', 'commitment' and 'motivation' among these pre-service teachers,
which is again in line with Beijaard et al. (1995) and Nias (1989).
These findings also indicate the importance of teaching
practice among pre-service teachers, through which the participants in this
study developed their sense of becoming effective teachers. What pre-service
teachers experience during their training period is vital and needs to be
positive, as this 'first' experience will influence their commitment,
motivation and determination to proceed with their plan to teach in schools
after they graduate. It is also important to note that providing pleasant
experiences and support to pre-service teachers is not the responsibility of university
lecturers alone, but should be handled together by the schools where these
teachers-to-be gain their very first teaching experience in a real setting.
References
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Harris, A. (2002). School improvement: What's is in it for
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Haigh M., and Tuck, B. (1999). Assessing student teachers'
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AuthorAffiliation
Fariza Khalid (PhD)
The National University of Malaysia
Email: fariza.khalid@ukm.edu.my
Doi:10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n20p1921
Appendix
Appendix: Interview questions
1. What made you choose to become a teacher In the first
place?
2. How would you describe your experience throughout the
duration of this teaching practice?
3. What unforgettable learning experience have you
experienced at this school? Why?
4. Tell me about your feelings - starting from your first
day at this school until now (the final week of teaching practice). Are there
any differences? If yes, what were the feelings, and why?
5. What do you think influences the way you see yourself
now?
6. What is the factor that influenced you the most?\
Subject: Student
teachers; Student teaching; Research; Schools; Learning; Families & family
life; Studies; Identity; Influence; Supervisors;
Publication title: Mediterranean
Journal of Social Sciences
Volume: 5
Issue: 20
Pages: 1921-1927
Number of pages: 7
Publication year: 2014
Publication date: Sep
2014
Year: 2014
Publisher: Mediterranean
Center of Social & Educational Research
Place of publication: Rome
Country of publication: Italy
Publication subject: Social
Sciences: Comprehensive Works
ISSN: 20399340
Source type: Scholarly
Journals
Language of publication: English
Document type: Feature
Document feature: Tables
References
ProQuest document ID: 1566865601
Copyright: Copyright
Mediterranean Center of Social & Educational Research Sep 2014
Last updated: 2014-10-04
Database: ProQuest
Sociology
Bibliography
Citation style: APA 6th - American Psychological
Association, 6th Edition
Khalid,
F., PhD. (2014). The impact of teaching practice experience in shaping
pre-service teachers' professional identities. Mediterranean Journal of Social
Sciences, 5(20), 1921-1927. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1566865601?accountid=25704
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