Pre-service subject teachers’ personal teacher characterisations after the pedagogical studies

Abstract

This study explored how five pre-service subject teachers characterised themselves as teachers after completing their year-long pedagogical studies in a Finnish university. Our narrative analysis of the interview data showed that the students shared a social representation of a past teacher characterised by wide power and emotional distance between pupils and the teacher. The students differentiated themselves from this kind of teacher character, and rather positioned themselves as interactive and caring educators identifying with their own ideal teachers as well as meaningful learning experiences in the pedagogical studies. Consequently, the study showed that engaging pre-service subject teachers in critical dialogue and reflection helps them to avoid static categorisations of ‘the teacher’ and to become authors of their own teachership.