Language teacher identities as socio-politically situated construction: Finnish and Brazilian student teachers' visualisations of their professional futures. (April 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ruohotie-Lyhty, Maria; Aragão, Rodrigo Camargo; Pitkänen-Huhta, Anne
• Is Part Of: Teaching and teacher education. Volume 100(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-04
• Subjects: Pre-service teacher education -- Teacher emotions -- Teacher identity -- Visual methods; Teaching -- Periodicals; Teachers -- Training of -- Periodicals; Enseignement -- Périodiques; Enseignants -- Formation -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 371.10205
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tate.2020.103270
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0742-051X

Abstract

Abstract: The process of envisioning the future is central to teachers' identity construction, but different environments create distinct sociocultural conditions for the process. This qualitative study drawing on visual-textual methods compares Finnish and Brazilian student teachers' desired and feared professional futures. Two different perspectives on future identities were detected: a desire for status and a desire for meaningfulness. The results revealed the radically different social status of teaching in the two countries and the role this played in the envisioned identities. The study highlights the importance of awareness of the socio-political nature of identity construction in developing teacher education. Highlights: The study examined 61 Finnish and 60 Brazilian language teacher students' visualisations of their future identities. Two different socio-culturally situated perspectives on future identities were detected. The results revealed the radically different social status of teaching in the two countries. The study illuminates the role of context in teacher identity development.