Development of teachers' professional identities: From pre-service to their first year as novice teachers

Research indicates that developing a teacher's professional identity is both a personal as well as a social process. This study examines teachers' professional identity development at three time points - at the entry and exit of their one-year teacher preparation program and at the end of their first year as novice teachers. The study aims to establish a baseline understanding of their perceptions about teaching while they embark on the initial teacher preparation program. It explores the changes in their perceptions (if any) at the point of graduation and after their first year of teaching. The implications of the findings are discussed in terms of informing admissions criteria into the programs, how initial teacher preparation programs can be enhanced and key areas of focus for teacher induction programs.