The differences between beginning and advanced student teachers’ teacher identities based on their practical theories

Abstract

Teacher education (TE) plays a pivotal role in fostering student teachers’ teacher identity development, and furthermore, their readiness and motivation for continuous professional development. In this article, we explore the differences in student teachers’ teacher identity during TE. For this purpose, we investigated personal practical theories) of beginning and advanced primary school student teachers. Personal practical theories (PPTs) are defined as pedagogical beliefs that guide classroom actions. We found out that there are gradual qualitative differences in student teacher identities as TE proceeds. However, the results indicate that the overall differences in teacher identities are minor during TE. On the basis of the results, we consider the ways TE may promote student teachers’ continuing professional development.