Postcards from the edge: developing a professional identity for trainee teachers in English education

Abstract

Following the de-regulation of teaching in post-compulsory education in England (DBIUS, 2012), the requirement for teachers to be qualified was removed and subsequently the numbers of trainees who studied to gain a qualification, whilst working ‘in-service’ began to reduce. At the same time a new group of trainees emerged; those undergoing ‘pre-service’ training based on a full-time programme where teaching practice was gained on a practical placement. As ‘outsiders’ within their settings these trainees did not always experience the same level of support as their in-service colleagues. Whilst being introduced to a community of practice (CoP) through their teaching placement, they were very much on the edge of the community and it is only through ‘legitimate peripheral participation’ (Lave and Wenger, 1991) that they begin to develop professional identities as teachers. In 2020, this situation was further complicated by the Covid 19 pandemic which meant that more teaching has taken place online and the usual opportunities for interaction with colleagues were removed.

Using focus groups with pre-service trainees and written reflections from teachers who trained during the height of the pandemic, this research highlights obstacles to developing a professional identity. The findings show the steps taken to navigate the journey from trainee to fully-fledged teacher.