Student Reflections On Teacher Identity Development In A Year-Long Secondary Teacher Preparation Program

Oct 15, 2026

This preliminary case study examines qualitatively the experiences of 20 participants enrolled in an international English medium secondary teacher preparation program at a university in Finland and analyzes reflections on their teacher identity development. Multiple measures of data with triangulation were collected from course work, including reflection essays and a focus group interview. Thematic analysis identifies factors influencing teacher identity development, highlighting mentor support, positive pupil feedback, and subject passion.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Teacher Identity

Research Question and Scope

Australian Journal of Teacher Education | Volume 43 | Issue 12 | Article 4 | | --- | --- | 2018 Student Reflections on Teacher Identity Development in a Year-long Secondary Teacher Preparation Program Kaisa Hahl University of Helsinki, [kaisa.hahl@helsinki.fi](kaisa.hahl@helsinki.fi) Erin Mikulec Illinois State University, [emikule@ilstu.edu](emikule@ilstu.edu) Recommended Citation Hahl, K., & Mikulec, E. (2018). Student Reflections on Teacher Identity Development in a Year-long Secondary Teacher Preparation Program. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 43 (12). Retrieved from [https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol43/iss12/4](https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol43/iss12/4) This Journal Article is posted at Research Online. [https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol43/iss12/4](https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol43/iss12/4) Australian Journal of Teacher Education Student Reflections On Teacher Identity Development In A Year-Long Secondary Teacher Preparation Program Kaisa Hahl University of Helsinki, Finland Erin Mikulec Illinois State University, United States Abstract: This preliminary case study examines qualitatively the experiences of 20 participants enrolled in an international English medium secondary teacher preparation program at a university in Finland and analyzes reflections on their teacher identity development. Multiple measures of data with triangulation were collected from course work, including reflection essays from 20 pre service teachers and a focus group interview with four of the pre service teachers. The data were analyzed with thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) in order to find categories offactors that influenced the pre-service teachers’ teacher identity development. The results indicate that the support especially from mentors and positive feedback from pupils during two teaching practicum periods, and the student teacher’s passion for their own subject, were incremental in building confidence in one’s teaching abilities. The participants also realized that they were in the beginning of their teacher identity development and were committed to lifelong learning. Introduction It is argued that teacher identity greatly influences the decisions that teachers make in relation to teaching practices, content of teaching, teacher-student relationships, and professional development (e.g., Beijaard, Meijer, & Verloop, 2004; Hammerness, Darling-Hammond, & Bransford, 2005) . Teacher preparation programs are considered one of the most important stages for teacher identity development (Izadinia, 2013) . The formation of teacher identity is, however, not stable and teacher identity is created and recreated through the years of learning to teach and teaching (Trent, 2010). Being cognizant of one’s teacher identity is important so that a teacher can set clear goals and better know how to reach them (Izadinia, 2013) . Finland’s educational system has garnered a significant amount of world recognition for its continued success on an international scale (e.g. Niemi, Toom, & Kallioniemi, 2012) . There are several factors indicative of this success, including teaching being a high-status profession and a system that is committed to equity without punitive accountability measures, such as highstakes testing (Sahlberg, 2015) . The aim of Finnish teacher education is to educate autonomous, reflective, and research-oriented teachers (Hökkä & Eteläpelto, 2014) . All teachers are required to have a Master’s degree, and student teachers practice research skills during teacher education (Maaranen, 2009) . Given this culture of support and professionalism, it is not surprising that Vol 43, 12, December 2018 42 Australian Journal of Teacher Education there are low rates of teacher attrition in Finland (Ostinelli, 2009) . However, secondary teachers (or subject teachers as they are referred to in Finland) only spend one year in pedagogical studies, which is a short time for

FAQs

How was teacher identity development explored in this study?

The study uses a preliminary qualitative case design with data from reflection essays and a focus group interview. Triangulated course-related measures were analyzed through thematic analysis.

What factors influenced participants’ teacher identity development?

Mentor support, positive feedback from pupils during teaching practicums, and participants’ passion for their subject were incremental in building confidence. Participants also recognized they were at the beginning of their identity development.

What was the guiding question for the research?

The study asks what factors influence pre-service secondary teachers’ teacher identity development in a year-long preparation program in Finland.

Oct 15, 2026

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