Katrin Poom-Valickis

Supporting emerging teacher identities: can we identify teacher potential among students?

The research focuses on Estonian university students’ emerging teacher identity and their interest in becoming teachers. Five hundred and sixty‐five first, third and fifth year students participated in the survey. The results suggest that pedagogical reasons for entering teacher education and clear motives for studying are significant indicators of teacher potential. Pedagogical reasons for entering teacher education or the teaching profession and the wish to function as a change agent in the society were related to academic self‐efficacy beliefs and the belief that the teacher expertise is mainly pedagogical in nature. However, at the point in their studies at which the students are able to choose their masters programme and entry into teacher education, their likelihood of choosing teacher education remains low, indicating that there is a need to develop pedagogical content, study counselling and career guidance services to encourage students’ continued interest in and entry to teacher education and the teaching profession.

Reflecting others and own practice: an analysis of novice teachers’ reflection skills

The first year of work is critical in novice teachers’ development and learning. This study examined differences in novice teachers’ reflections about cases of classroom challenges between the beginning and the end of their first year of teaching. In addition, we analyzed their reflections at the end of their first year about one of their own classroom challenges. The results of this study illustrate several findings. First, their reflections on other teachers’ challenges changed from the beginning to the end of the school year in that they became more authoritarian in attributions of causes of challenges. In addition, in classroom challenges they experienced themselves, they demonstrated very little in terms of reflection beyond simply describing the events. The use of questions as tools of scaffolding teachers’ reflections about others’ challenges increased the depth of novice teachers’ reflection and helped them to be aware about teachers’ roles and responsibilities. However, when asked to reflect on their own experiences, their reflections were primarily descriptive and did not reach the level of their reflections on others’ practice. We suggest that increased engagement of peers and mentors in guiding and modeling reflection can be effective in increasing the depth of novice teachers’ reflections about their own practice.

“Pupils should have respect for you, although I have no idea how to achieve this?”: The ideals and experiences shaping a teacher’s professional identity

Abstract The aim of the study was to understand the development of professional identity of prospective teachers, their ideals and experiences during interactions with their surrounding learning environment, including university studies and pedagogical placement during their 5-year studies. We also aimed at understanding how students with different motivational pathways to teacher education may be supported to explore teaching as a possible career choice. The findings reported in this article emerged primarily from interviews with 13 student teachers at the end of their teacher education programme. Survey responses collected during earlier stages of the study were utilised to provide data about the student teachers’ professional development prior to the point of the interviews. The findings of the study point to various concerns and dilemmas, which in turn suggest that student teachers take different identity development routes. The study identified four possible “identity routes” to becoming a teacher. The implications of different identity routes on teacher education are discussed.

Associations of Newly Qualified Teachers' Beliefs with Classroom Management Practices and Approaches to Instruction over One School Year.

Abstract We focus on assessing whether newly qualified teachers’ professional outcome expectations and their beliefs about students’ intellectual potential are associated with teachers’ self-reported classroom management and instructional practices. One hundred and eighteen novice teachers participating in the induction year programme were studied during their first years as full-time teachers. Results attest to a salient association between teachers’ more optimistic views of the malleability of students’ intellectual potential and teachers’ confidence in themselves as positive change agents in student outcomes. Also, teachers’ belief-set in the beginning of their career was shown to be associated with significant differences in the level of using instructional practices promoting mastery goal orientation in the classroom as well as offering students emotional support during the learning process. In the light of the significant belief–behaviour links demonstrated, more explicit attention to the sophistication of teachers’ ability beliefs in teacher education programmes is recommended.