Abstract:

This session reports an ongoing research project on the teachers’ identities of 70 undergraduates of a TEFL program. A qualitative inquiry looks into three factors involved in teacher identity construction: a like for languages and cultures, emotional attachment to the teacher role and imagining a future career trajectory.

The trait teacher identity is complex; to determine it, a survey to 70 participants asked a) motives to a join a college of education, and specifically a TEFL program, b) social, political and cultural aspects related to their teacher roles, and c) expectations as future teachers. The survey indicated that all participants liked modern languages, but only 14 expressed a wish to teach. Last year students, who had already done the teacher practicum, complained that they saw little connection between theory and practice and manifested doubts and fears about their competence to meet the challenges posed by teaching at school, such as classroom management and follow the policies and standards of the Ministry of education of Colombia. At present, the data above is being compared to the follow up interview on the aspects mentioned above.

It is assumed that some aspects of teacher identity development for school teachers is complex since they have to combine the teaching role with other roles such as that of materials designers, evaluators and classroom managers. The study therefore analyzes the current literature on teacher identity for proposing changes in the undergraduate TEFL program. Hall and Gay (1996) state that identity is a construction shaped by the recognition of “some common origin shared characteristics with another person or group, or with an ideal, and with the natural closure of solidarity and allegiance established on this foundation” (p.2). Johnson (2012) affirms that Identity is; (1) personality and physical characteristics; family experiences, religious encounters; gender; educational background; ethnicity and culture, (2) a social, cultural and relational construction and it is maintained with language and dialogue, (3) is created and recreated by experiences and it is in constant change and transformation, and (4) is holistic; it represents the combination of many aspects (life experiences, physical characteristics, personality, roles and background, genetic makeup, ethnicity and culture, understandings, knowledge, beliefs, feelings and values) of our lives.

Accordingly, this research project will examine the current curricula in features of evaluation of learning, teaching to different populations, classroom management and autonomy among others given that the 70 respondents claim that their formation focuses on theories, language skills, and learning strategies.

Keywords:

Teacher identity, empowerment, socio political and cultural aspects, vocation.