Beginning Student Teachers’ Professional Identity

Abstract

This article investigates teachers’ professional identity of beginning first-year students through their beliefs about being a teacher. The presented study focuses on Austrian teacher students’ (N=18) conceptions of becoming a professional; what convictions student teachers reflect on, which professional identity emerges and what synthesis of a professional teacher identity position can be portrayed at the beginning of teacher education. Through inductively driven content analysis all statements (N=401) have been combined, and a unified synthesis of a beginning student teachers’ professional identity was formed. Three main categories were found: the “ideal” teacher, “good” teaching, and the “optimal” working environment. The results showed a highly idealistic view of being a teacher. The majority of statements referred to teaching from a pupil-centered perspective by strongly emphasising personality traits, student-teacher relationships, and teachers’ professional knowledge. Based on the results, the role of professional identity in Austrian’s teacher education is discussed, and further implementations in research are recommended.

Full text

Received August 2020. Published online 9 July 2021.
Cite as: Steinbeiß, G. (2021) Beginning student teachers’ professional identity. Acta Didactica Napocensia, 14(1), 151-164,
https://doi.org/10.24193/adn.14.1.12
Volume 14, Number 1, 2021 - DOI: 10.24193/adn.14.1.12
BEGINNING STUDENT TEACHERS’ PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY
1
Gregor STEINBEISS
Abstract: This article investigates teachers’ professional identity of beginning first-year students
through their beliefs about being a teacher. The presented study focuses on Austrian teacher
students’ (N=18) conceptions of becoming a professional; what convictions student teachers
reflect on, which professional identity emerges and what synthesis of a professional teacher
identity position can be portrayed at the beginning of teacher education. Through inductively
driven content analysis all statements (N=401) have been combined, and a unified synthesis of a
beginning student teachers’ professional identity was formed. Three main categories were found:
the “ideal” teacher, “good” teaching, and the “optimal” working environment. The results showed
a highly idealistic view of being a teacher. The majority of statements referred to teaching from a
pupil-centered perspective by strongly emphasising personality traits, student-teacher
relationships, and teachers’ professional knowledge. Based on the results, the role of professional
identity in Austrian’s teacher education is discussed, and further implementations in research are
recommended.
Key words: Teacher identity, teachers’ professional identity, beliefs about teaching, teachers’
professional development, beginning student teachers, teacher education
1. Introduction
Research on teachers’ professional identity has gained considerable attention during the past two
decades, and has established itself as an independent approach. Multiple scholars highlight the
importance of professional identity development in pre- and in-service teachers (Akkerman & Meijer,
2011; Beijaard & Meijer, 2017; Hong, Cross, & Schutz, 2018, Nickel & Zimmer, 2018, Zembylas &
Chubbuck, 2018). Both groups undergo individual developmental processes throughout a teacher’s
career; and especially teacher education plays a pivotal role in the early development of a teacher. This
growing interest in professional identity development aligns with the increasing emphasis on the role
of beliefs, emotions, passion, commitment, motivation, and agency. Teachers’ professional identity
has been linked to tensions between personal beliefs and social demands (Pillen, Beijaard, & den
Brok, 2013), emotional and motivational aspects (Zembylas & Chubbuck, 2018), the notion of one’s
self, and sense-making of one’s work (Beijaard & Meijer, 2017). It is considered to be an important
factor in understanding the conceptions about a teacher’s role, the choice of teaching methods, and the
actions teachers choose in their professional life (Hong et al., 2018).
Previous studies have shown that at the beginning of teacher education, student teachers’ professional
identity includes a large number of strong beliefs about the work of a teacher. Inevitable, these beliefs
are strongly influenced by their previous educational experiences. For example, Lamote and Engels
(2010) state, that at the beginning of teacher education students follow a strong pupil-orientated
approach to teaching. Student-centered activities and personal development of the pupils were
highlighted. Maaranen, Pitkäniemi, Stenberg, and Karlsson (2016) indicate that pre-service teachers
have strong idealistic notions of a “good” teacher, “good” teaching, and a “good” teaching
environment. Morally high values, classroom justice, high aims, and the best interest of the child are
mentioned as core values of beginning student teachers. While such idealistic beliefs are desirable
1
This paper was presented at the TDID Doctoral Students’ Conference, 14-16 May 2020.

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throughout the whole career of a teacher, the real situation of pupils and their social environment,
school, community, educational institutions, and broader stakeholder groups might be different. As a
result, a discourse arises between personal beliefs about the qualities and methods of a "good teacher"
and other stakeholders. Previous research has shown that such dispositions can lead to different paths
of becoming a teacher. Ideally, personal knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, norms, and values are integrated
and changed through professional demands from teacher education, institutes, and schools including
broadly accepted values and standards (Pillen et al., 2013). In contrast, studies also indicate that
student teachers’ may resist such change in teacher education; perceived beliefs about the profession
can be so strong, that new information is ignored during initial teacher training (Richardson, 1996).
This article investigates teachers' professional identity of 18 first-year student teachers in Austrian
teacher education at the beginning of their studies. For this purpose, beliefs about being a teacher,
teaching, and the work of a teacher are used as a lens for outlining teachers’ professional identity. The
author claims that teacher educators and student teachers should be aware of the developmental
processes which occur during teacher training to foster an effective and meaningful professional
development throughout the path of becoming a teacher (Stenberg, Karlsson, Pitkaniemi, & Maaranen,
2014). In addition to that, the author highlights the importance of a reflective practice based on
professional identity development to support student teachers’ growth during pre-service teacher
education.
The objective of this study is to determine teachers’ professional identity of first year pre-service
teachers at the beginning of their teacher education. Therefore, I pose two research questions:
1. What beliefs about a teachers’ professional identity do student teachers reflect on at the
beginning of their teacher education?
2. What synthesis of a professional teacher identity position is emphasised in student teachers’
beliefs at the beginning of teacher education?
2. Theoretical background
2. 1. Teachers’ professional identity
Over the past two decades researchers have found the concept of teachers’ professional identity
attractive for research on teacher education, consequently “there is a growing recognition that teacher
education and professional development programs must not only address subject-matter content and
pedagogy, but also the complex processes involved” (Kaplan & Garner, 2018, p. 71). However, a
growing and diverse literature lead to multiple definitions of the professional identity concept; it
remains difficult to build a solid theoretical framework around the idea (Beijaard, Meijer, & Verloop,
2004). “Identity” itself is defined as a multidimensional and dynamic construct with different shapes
based on different theoretical lenses through one observes it. Different disciplinary perspectives, such
as philosophy, psychology, anthropology, neuroscience, and sociology have provided insight that
identity can be approached from various viewpoints (Richardson & Watt, 2018). For example, Smith
and Sparkes (2008) differentiate between four different identity perspectives: a socio-psychological
approach (focusing on the inner self), an intersubjective approach (focusing on the individual and the
social), a storied resource perspective (focusing on the social and cultural) and a dialogical approach
(focusing on the discourses between individual, social and cultural). Current trends discuss teachers’
professional identity mainly from a postmodern viewpoint based on Mead’s (1934) work of the “self”
in relation to society (Beauchamp & Thomas, 2009), Goffman’s (1972) ideas about role identity
(Pauw, Jongstra, & van Lint, 2016) and Erikson’s (1980) understanding of identity as an ongoing
process (Cote & Levine, 2014). Most researchers distinguish personal, social, and I-Identities.
Personal Identity refers to an individual’s biopsychosocial context - one’s personality, interests, and
characteristics. Social identity is seen as the socio-cultural context and is defined as an internalised
understanding of how to be seen through others and what societal expectations one encounters. The I-
Identity represents the comprehensive organisation and regulates contradictions between the different
social identities and personal identity.

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This article also approaches teacher identity formation from a postmodern perspective. Teachers’
professional identity is considered to be an ongoing developmental process through reflection and
interpretation of experiences through narrations and beliefs (Søreide, 2006). It includes both person
and context; consists of multiple identities and sub-identities, which do not have to be in harmony with
each other and comprises agency, ownership, and sense-making (Akkerman & Meijer, 2011;
Beauchamp & Thomas, 2009; Beijaard & Meijer, 2017; Pillen et al., 2013).
2.2. A holistic perspective of being a teacher
Teacher education in (Upper) Austria is based on the following fundamental principles: First, it is
competence-orientated following classical ideas as content knowledge, pedagogical content
knowledge, and pedagogical knowledge. Second, the curriculum draws attention to biographical and
developmental processes. Students should be aware of their own biographically developed beliefs,
values, and behavior concerning teaching and the work of a teacher. Third, teacher education in
(Upper) Austria is practice-orientated and reflexive. Teaching practice and theoretical coursework are
strongly linked, reflective practice based on experiences and theories is emphasised. Forth, teacher
education is research-based. Current trends in educational research are discussed, and students should
develop a research-based teaching attitude. Last, teacher training is transdisciplinary. Students are
encouraged to look beyond their subject and acknowledge education as a lifelong process not limited
to educational institutions. (Altrichter, Greiner, Soukup-Altrichter, & Reitinger, 2015).
Based on the foundations of the above-mentioned principles the author argues, that teacher education
in (Upper) Austria includes (next to its competence orientation) social and affective domains of
becoming a teacher portraying teacher education as a holistic entity addressing all qualities of a
“good” teacher. Besides the classical competence-view of a teacher, it emphasises the teacher’s self,
draws attention to the cognitive and affective aspects of being a teacher, and promotes agency and
reflection through teaching practice in diverse social environments.
In this study, the aothor approaches teachers’ professional identity as such a holistic concept. It “can
be defined as a resource that people use to explain, justify and make sense of themselves in relation to
others, and to the world at large and can be considered a basis for answering teachers’ questions such
as “how to be”, “how to act” and “how to understand teaching.”” (Assen, Koops, Meijers, Otting, &
Poell, 2018, p. 131). A useful framework within which to consider a holistic understanding of being a
teacher is Korthagen’s (2016) onion model (see Figure 1). The onion model is typically illustrating an
effective professional teacher throughout different layers, which are codependent.
Figure 1. The onion model (model of levels in reflection) (Korthagen, 2016, p. 9)
Core qualities (personality traits and character strengths), ideals and mission (motivation and
significance), identity, beliefs, competencies, behaviour (ability to act), and environmental influences.
Inner and outer layers can influence each other; yet, it is not possible to skip a layer. For example,

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environmental settings demand behaviour and actions that require specific competencies, resulting in a
change of beliefs forming a professional identity. At the same time, core qualities and mission form
identity, which is expressed through beliefs, thereby adapting competencies leading to specific
behaviours influencing the environment (Korthagen, 2016). This study focuses on the dependency of
two layers of the onion model while acknowledging a holistic perspective of becoming a teacher:
Teachers’ professional identity and teachers’ beliefs.
2.3. Teacher identity and beliefs
While there are multiple approaches to understanding teachers’ professional identity, this paper
focuses on three main aspects linked to Korthagen’s (2016) onion model (see Figure 1). First, building
from the previous section, teachers’ beliefs can be identified as a lens for understanding teachers’
professional identity (Zembylas & Chubbuck, 2014). Second, the importance of discourse, narration,
and context is pivotal in the construction of identity (Søreide, 2006) and third, identity development is
enriched through active reflection on beliefs, discourse, and the context in which the subject is located
(Beauchamp & Thomas, 2009). Teacher’s professional identity is therefore in connection with both
reflected beliefs and attitudes about teaching and being a teacher as well as in the described context
through narrations, in which the subject is located.
The first aspect of teacher identity formation is teachers' beliefs. Zembylas and Chubbuck (2014)
discuss emotions, narrations, discourse, reflection, and agency as key-factors for understanding
teachers’ identity formation and state, that identity and beliefs are strongly intertwined: Similar to
understanding identity, beliefs are connected to the past, present, and future. Convictions are
continuously discussed, and conflicts, difficulties, and tensions are an integral part of the development
process. In addition to that, the context of reflection on ones' personal and professional understanding
of being a teacher is crucial. Korthagen (2004) noted that beliefs of teachers have a direct influence on
teaching behaviour and that vice versa reflecting on this behaviour directly influences those beliefs
and attitudes. Throughout current literature student teachers’ beliefs about “Who am I as a Teacher?”
(Lerseth, 2013), “What is my role as a teacher?” (Cheung, 2008) and “What is good teaching and a
good teacher?” (Maaranen et al., 2016) have been used to outline teachers’ professional identity.
The narrative aspect of teacher identity derives from the socio-cultural orientation emphasising the
multiplicity, discontinuity, and social nature of teachers' professional identity linking beliefs and
perceptions to experiences (Søreide, 2006). Discourse constitutes teachers' professional identity
through talking within and among others; the narration itself is seen as a manifestation of discourse in
the teacher or his or her social context in which he or she is located (Cohen, 2010; Søreide, 2006).
Watson (2006) describes identity formation as dialogically relational. Teachers put themselves in
relation to peers, teacher educators, discourses of programs, schools, and politics.
Last, the aspect of reflection in teachers' professional identity formation is discussed. Zembylas and
Chubbuck (2018) state three emerging themes in terms of identity formation: First, reflection on
teachers’ professional identity formation is enriched by conflicts and discomfort; a dissonance
between personal and social identity can provoke a positive development (Pillen et al., 2013). Second,
identity is created by reflecting on one's career or past experiences, prior concepts of personal identity,
and the resulting future perspectives (Smith, 2007). Third, if the context of action is interpreted
through reflection, the development of professional identity is influenced.
3. Research and Methods
3.1. Context of the study
The study is carried out at the institute of secondary education at the University of Education Upper
Austria, Linz, Austria. The author is part of the cross-institutional department of educational sciences.
All teacher educators in this department are required to conduct research, hold a doctoral degree, or
function as doctoral candidates. Austrian teacher education is research-based and student teachers
graduate with a Master’s degree. The four basic foundations of the teacher education program consists
of studies about content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, educational sciences, and pedagogical-

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practical studies. The Bachelor's program for secondary education generally requires 240 ECTS
credits, which are followed by a Master's program of 60 ECTS credits (vocational education) or 120
ECTS credits (general secondary education). Student teachers must complete the Master's degree
within five years after their Bachelor's degree to be able to enter into a permanent teaching contract. In
addition, student teachers have to go through a one-year induction phase in which they teach regularly
and are accompanied by mentors. They can complete this work experience directly after their
Bachelor's degree and have it recognised as an internship for the Master's degree. One needs to
mention that the Austrian teacher education system was recently reformed (PädagogInnenbildung
“NEU”). Before 2016/17 primary and lower secondary school teachers required a Bachelor’s degree;
upper secondary school teachers were required to hold a Master’s degree.
3.2 Participants
All together 18 student teachers participated in the first round of the study. The responding
participants are enrolled in secondary teacher education and will be all graduating to teach different
subjects (pupils of 10 to 18 years). All major subjects (Mathematics, German, English) and almost all
minor subjects were represented (except Music, Informatics, and Chemistry). One-third of the
participants were men (N=6) and two-thirds women (N=12). It can be argued, that this balance aligns
with the overall representation of gender in the whole teaching program (~ 30% male, ~ 70% female;
BMBF, 2020). Other genders are not officially registered at all, none of the participants identified
themselves as gender-fluid, divers or other. The student teachers were all first semester students at the
beginning of their studies and were invited to participate via e-mail; the data collection process was
not integrated into a course or a seminar. The students had no formal teacher education before, nor
have they been working in practica related to the teacher education program.
3.3 Data Collection
The research data was collected in the autumn of 2017 and represents the first out of five planned
rounds of interviews. Data sets were not only collected for longitudinal research purposes, but also the
evaluation of the newly implemented teacher education program “Pädagoginnenbildung NEU” in
Austria. The qualitative questionnaire was designed to generate narrations through impulses about
student teachers' beliefs, “good” teaching and being a “good” teacher. The chosen form of episodic-
narrative interviews aims to generate theories about a phenomenon through stories and includes
features from different approaches like narrative inquiry, semistructured interview, and episodic
interview (Flick, 2011). Therefore, the chosen structure does not just provide insights about personal
beliefs, but allows the student teachers to reflect on different viewpoints about being a teacher.
Throughout narrations, different real-life situations and subjective definitions are discussed and
argumentative reliable statements are formed. In addition to the prepared impulses, ad-hoc questions
triggered the reflection process of student teachers by calling their thinking into question. Space was
given to explain and elaborate on the mentioned statements by putting them in different contexts.
3.4. Data Analysis
The data was transcribed based on its content and analysed through computer-assisted data-driven
content analysis (Mayring, 2015). The software used was MAXQDA. While an overall coding scheme
was formed based on previous studies (main categories), the sub- and generic categories where
inductively chosen without a specific framework. First, the statements have been read by the author;
second, subcodes were coded and compared; and third, discussed later on with other researchers. As a
forth step, all code-segments were unified into one combined matrix. Fifth, each code-segment was
placed into a fitting subcategory. As the last step, all sub-categories were organised based on
similarities through forming generic categories. Finally, the generic categories were divided into the
main categories. The data analysis focused on student teachers’ beliefs about “good” teaching and a
“good” teacher determining their overall identity position (Maaranen et al., 2016).

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4. Results of the study
4.1. Perceptions of an “ideal” teacher
Table 1. Student teachers’ beliefs about being a good teacher (252 Statements)
Teachers’ characteristics (111)
e.g. being empathic (6), stay motivated (6), to be human (5), to be open
(5), to show interest in one’s subject (5), to be strict (5), to emphasise the
importance of the subject (4), to care about students(4), to have an
idealistic mindset (3), to be respectful (3), to be motivational (3), to be a
role model (3), to be patient (3), to be thrilling (3)
Teachers’ knowledge (93)
e.g. to have content knowledge (6), to match the needs of the class (5), To
transfer knowledge (4), to foster group dynamics (4), to react to questions
(4), to plan lessons (4), to behave like a professional (4), to provide
systematically planned lessons (4), to give clear instructions (3), to
increase knowledge (3)
Teacher-student relationship (48)
e.g. to find a balance between authority and caregiver (10), to keep
emotional distance (3), to be respectful towards each other (3), to trust
each other (3), to facilitate of becoming an adult (3), to be responsive
towards being a human (3), to treat students like adults (2), to have a
friendship (2)
The category “ideal” Teacher comprises 252 statements, 87 sub-categories, and three generic
categories (see Table 1); the numbers in brackets indicate the number of statements in the category.
Throughout a narrative impulse (How would you describe a good teacher?) three main generic
categories were found. The most highlighted generic category was teachers’ characteristics (111) in
which student teachers described the personality traits of a good teacher. Statements in this section
outline how to be a teacher and contain mainly adjectives. The second-largest generic category
consisted of statements relating to teachers’ knowledge (93). Student teachers described what one has
to know as a good teacher. Statements in this category refer to what knowledge is necessary to be
successful as a teacher. The third and hierarchical last generic category, teacher-student relationship
(48) consists of statements representing on how to interact with pupils. The vast amount of assertions
in this section describe tensions and dispositions about emotional distance and authority. The
following three examples from student teachers illustrate their beliefs about being a good teacher:
“Good teaching is when it is varied, not always the same. When the teacher, is motivated,
comes to the school with energy, with enthusiasm, and if he manages to keep up his
enthusiasm. If he manages to stimulate that interest in the pupils. That the pupils think about
it, that the pupils talk about it, that it's not over with the end of the lesson, but that the pupils
afterward think about it as well Yes.”
(Student teacher 1, Teachers’ characteristics, stay motivated)
“I believe that this is also very important in teacher training, that those personalities are
competent in terms of content, but still have a great personality. And that is something very
important for me, I was mostly impressed by teachers who were good in terms of content,
because I felt nothing was worse than a student asking a question and then you realise that the
teacher either doesn't know the answer, or gives an answer that doesn't fit the question at all.”
(Student teacher 6, Teachers’ knowledge, to have content knowledge)
“We have been told that we should really take care, especially at the beginning, to keep a
certain distance so that we don't crack in our first years of practice as young teachers.
Because we can't solve all problems, we can't make every pupil into a perfect one, because
you might meet some children where you reach your limits. And if you lack the appropriate
experience, then it can quickly lead to unhappiness in your job. And we have been warned that
we should rather lower expectations, try to do small steps, and also draw limits if necessary.”

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(Student teacher 6, Teacher-student relationship, to find a balance between authority and
caregiver)
4.2. Concepts of “good” teaching
Table 2. Student teachers’ beliefs about good teaching (118 Statements)
Teachers’ actions (64)
e.g. differentiation (8), to balance between curriculum requirements and
students’ personal interests (5), to base teaching on everyday problems (4), to
ensure knowledge transfer (4), to balance if grades are necessary (3), to
provide student-centered topics (3), to focus on the overall development (3),
the curriculum is incidental (3), diversified lesson planning (2),
Learning environment (54)
e.g. room for different teaching methods (3), should generate interests (3);
adequate furnishings (3), should support new media (3), independent working
environment (2), rich in variety (2), room for discussions (2), supportive
environment (2), should be familiar (2), supports self- determination (2), true-
to-life (2), a place for education and nurturing (2)
The category“good” teaching consists of 115 statements, 62 sub-categories, and is organised into two
generic categories: teachers’ actions and learning environment (see Table 2). The narrative impulse
(How would you describe good teaching?) generates statements on how to act as a teacher and how
learning environments should be designed. The first generic category “good” teaching (32) comprises
statements about the teaching process itself and the actions teachers take while working with students.
The largest sub-category mentioned is differentiation. Tensions and dispositions about curriculum
requirements and interests of students were discussed. The second generic category is learning
environment (26). Student teachers describe their “ideal” learning environments in which pupils would
benefit most. The following two quotes represent statements placed in both generic categories:
“Especially as a teacher, I think that one of the most important qualities is that you are
somehow adaptable. That you can deal with each class differently, and that you can somehow
respond to the class. In the end, the teacher is there for the class and not the class for the
teacher... I have to look first if it fits the pupils sitting in the class.
(Student teacher 2, Teachers’ actions, differentiation)
“I definitely think that you should try to make sure that you have a variety of methods. When
you realise that it is not possible to teach, use some loosening up exercises that you can think
of, if you realise that the pupils are very tense, if there was just something going on, then you
do something completely different for five minutes, and then teaching might be possible again.
That you have the flexibility to react properly and richness of methods is also good for good
teaching.”
(Student teacher 4, learning environment, room for different teaching methods)
4.3. Beliefs about an “optimal” working environment
Table 3. Student teachers’ beliefs about their future working environment (31 Statements)
Working environment (31)
e.g. should provide autonomy (5), clear statements of specific preferred
schools (5), awareness about the political impact on educational environments
(3), should be a pleasant environment (3), should provide practical
workspaces for students (2), enough teaching material (2), no grading system
(2), negative reputation of the teaching profession (2)
The last main category “optimal” working environment includes 31 statements, 12 sub-categories (see
Table 3) and refers to the question: How would you describe your future working environment? The
largest sub-category contains concrete issues about the working environment as a place of autonomy
(5). In addition to that, student teachers state clear ideas, e.g. the exact school and city, about their
future workplaces (5). Being autonomous in teaching, choosing freely where to teach, and enough

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teaching materials are the main common dominators of this category. The following statements outline
student teachers ideas of a good working environment:
“I think that the new modular upper secondary school, which is now being introduced, is not
so good either, because it takes away some of the teachers' freedom. Therefore, I think that it
is important that every teacher decides for himself, on how he wants to teach, how I want to
work with the students. What do I want to teach them specifically in this lesson and what do I
want to teach them differently in another lesson!”
(Student teacher 1, Working environment, should provide autonomy)
“Okay. In ten years from now, I will be working a couple of years. Well, I think that I will get
into a gymnasium with my subjects. Therefore, I see myself in a gymnasium, whether in an
upper or lower secondary school; I do not care, because I think I do well in both.”
(Student teacher 12, working environment, Clear statement of specific preferred schools)
4.3. Portraying a synthesis of beginning student teachers professional identity
Teachers’ professional identity is displayed through beliefs and attitudes about teaching and being a
teacher (Korthagen, 2016; Maaranen et al., 2016), as well as in the described context through
narrations in which the subject is located (Søreide, 2006). The following paragraphs summarise the
ontological beliefs about the role of teachers, personality, acting, and epistemological beliefs about
one’s knowledge related to the profession portraying beginning student teachers' professional identity.
The generic category Teachers’ characteristics contains ideas about characteristics and personality
traits and deals mostly with statements concerning interpersonal level between student and teacher.
While student teachers acknowledge, that teachers do not have to be perfect, clear statements about
necessary characteristics are formed. Teachers are referred to as central role models for pupils. They
are described as motivating and empathic, act virtuously, and present themselves as human beings.
Flexibility and openness are emphasised. Teachers intend to be sensitive and inspiring; all students
should feel welcome, and mistakes should be tolerated. A teacher does not scare and torture students,
but acts in a friendly, generous manner and takes things with humour. He or she should meet the
students on the same level, but also be strict and assertive. A respectful and appreciated way of
teaching pupils is emphasised. Wishes should be taken into consideration and not everything shall be
taken too seriously. A teacher must be interested in his students and should recognise them as adults in
upper secondary school. He or she represents a balance between professional competence and a good
personality. A teacher intends to be idealistic and accepts criticism. An interest in one's subject is
considered essential; he or she should be passionate about his or her subject, work goal-oriented, and
have a profound rhetorical education.
Teachers’ knowledge categorises statements referring to the epistemological beliefs about one’s
knowledge related to the teaching profession. A teacher should be able to stimulate the interest of the
pupils and acts as an inspring person. Therefore, he or she provides adequate learning materials. A
certain freedom in lessons must be guaranteed, discussions should be feciliated. The teacher intends to
help the pupils to understand the material better and sets instructions and goals. A clear structure and
systematic lesson planning are emphasised. The learning success is guaranteed by using different
teaching methods and by repeating the content. Teachers generally support the students on their path
of life, teach certain values, and take care of the students. A teacher is a master in his or her subject,
professional competence is explicitly emphasised, there is nothing worse than a teacher who does not
know his way around. This expertise should be combined with real-life examples working through
practical examples; one must be able to explain why the subject is important later on. At the same
time, it is criticised that you have to attend so many theoretical lectures which are not needed in ones’
teaching. In addition to that, teachers should be technically talented and use new media in a
meaningful way. Diverse working environments are considered challenging, conflicts and difficult
situations in the classroom must be recognised early and dealt with correctly. A general overview must
be kept. A teacher should pay attention every student equally.

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Teacher-student relationship, as a generic category, describes perceptions of the role of a teacher in
the classroom and the relationship between teachers and pupils. The school, in general is
acknowledged as a social space, teacher-student relationships are emphasised as particularly
important. The teacher should support the pupils as they grow up, build trust, and be a caregiver.
Through a good relationship, knowledge is better retained. Nothing should be forced, mistakes must
be allowed. A respectful relationship is maintained and on secondary school level students should be
treated like adults who are allowed to participate in the decision making process on the same level as
the teacher. However, teachers should not become the best friend, but only support and guide. It is
important to draw a line, but also to be liked. A certain distance is necessary in order not to shatter
emotionally as a teacher. A teacher can not solve all problems and will reach his or her limits.
However, taking action and being consequent is vital. In contradiction, too much authority and
distance are considered to be prejudicial towards the learning success and leads to paternalism. Fears
of not being taken seriously or not getting respect are discussed. A balance between those aspects is
emphasised as important.
The generic category Teachers’ actions consist of beliefs about the teaching process itself. Teachers
are considered to be able to adapt and respond to the wishes of the class. The different interests and
levels of the pupils should be taken into account through individually designed lessons. At the same
time, ability streaming is mentioned. Teachers should facilitate discussions, work project-orientated,
and let students actively participate. Teacher centered teaching is not recommended, practical and life-
oriented lessons are emphasized. A common thread in teaching is considered particularly important;
group management and knowledge output must be kept in mind. “Good” pupils should support “bad”
ones. Content must be repeated frequently, a diverse range of learning materials and worksheets
should be available, and homework exercises are necessary. However, there should be no exams.
Grades are described as important on the one hand, but alternative grading systems are discussed.
While the previous categories focused on the teacher, pupils, and on (inter)actions, Learning
environment, as a generic category, summarises ideals about the related context. Educational
environments are considered to be diverse and allow different forms of teaching. All contents should
be sufficiently provided in the classrooms. A classroom promotes the interest of pupils, inspires,
motivates, and represents a familiar environment familiar, it should not be a dull environment.
Sufficient equipment is available and the number of students in a class should not be “too high”. Well-
tempered rooms with enough fresh air and plenty of light are essential. Ergonomic seating should be
available. New media such as laptop smartphones, smart-boards, and video projectors are considered a
must in future school environments. Relaxation zones are also being discussed.
The last generic category, Working environment, contains statements about the “ideal” workplace of a
teacher. It is stated that the teaching profession is frequently criticised in society since teachers seem
to work little because of the holidays. Political developments and educational changes are described as
a negative impact on educational environments; frequent changes towards requirements complicate the
teaching profession. In addition, many students have a clear idea of where they want to teach. Lower
secondary school is favored, gymnasium and upper secondary schools are described as the preferred
goal of employment; also schools with alternative curricular; schools from disadvantaged areas are
referred to as less popular. It is argued that one will stay in a school forever once he or she started
there. Student teachers hope for “nice” colleagues and “good” cooperation and do not want colleagues
who are “bad” teachers. Also, “good” cooperation with parents, students, and management is desired.
In general, a school represents a place of well-being. Student teachers hope for their subjects and do
not want to teach different ones which they have not been educated in. An own desk and the desire for
supervision are emphasised. Political work outside school is also desired. In addition, current
technological developments are discussed and it is noted that the teaching environment will change
significantly. New media are described as challenges.

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5. Discussion of the results
Student teachers’ beliefs about the teaching profession play an essential role in how content in teacher
education is interpreted and how experiences during the process of becoming a teacher are reflected
on. According to the results of this study, student teachers portray a professional teacher from a
professional, personal, ethical, philosophical, and political viewpoint. While a multifaceted view of
both the personal identity and the social demands are acknowledged, the synthesis of a beginning
student teachers’ professional identity portrays a highly idealistic version of a professional teacher.
Aligning with the results of other studies, similarities can be identified.
Maaranen et al. (2016) analysed a total of 647 beliefs about teachers’ personal practical theories in
terms of being a good teacher and good teaching. By interviewing 84 student teachers from second to
fifth years of studying an overall generalization of a “good” teacher, the foundations of “good”
teaching and the teachers’ daily work were discussed. Similar to this study, highly idealistic
viewpoints and ideologies about teaching were emphasised. Common generalisations about how to act
as a teacher were mentioned, rather than concrete ways of teaching methods and classroom
management. A professional teacher is portrayed as very student-centered, and the daily work of a
teacher consists of high idealism in terms of working environment, colleagues, and pupils. Stenberg et
al. (2014) draw attention to what teacher identity positions student teachers’ beliefs reflect at the
beginning of teacher education by using Herbat’s didactical triangle as a framework (pupil-teacher-
content). Statements related to pupils refer to issues in learning, teacher includes personal history and
teacher education, and content indicates the impact of the teacher education curriculum. Through
analysing 71 teacher students at the beginning of their studies four main identity positions where
identified: (1) Value position; (2) Practice position; pedagogical interactional position (2a), didactical
position (2b), and content position (2c); (3) teacher position, and (4) context position. Aligning with
the results of this study, value positions were highlighted as teachers of equality, impartiality, and
fairness; teaching was referred to as a moral endeavour. The best interest of the child is strongly
emphasised. Pedagogical interactions refer to creating a safe and happy environment, were
individuality is emphasised. Didactical positions demand student-centered planning, motivational
environments, individual learning arrangements, insight, and participation. The content position draws
attention to the knowledge of what pupils should be thought in schools. Self-protection, coping
strategies, and student-teacher relationships were issues discussed in the teacher position. The context
position refers to the working environment of a teacher. Similar to this study, collaboration with other
teachers, pupils, and parents, and general assumptions about the school environment where discussed.
The results indicate, that “teacher identities of student teachers strongly reflect issues linked to values
(20.36% of beliefs), pedagogical interaction between teacher and student (22.62% of beliefs) and
orchestrating teaching (30.31% of beliefs) at the beginning of their teacher education. Fewer beliefs
were related to content (2.94%), teacher (4.07%), or context (4.29%)” (Stenberg et al., 2014, p. 212).
In this study, beliefs about teacher characteristics (28%) were strongly emphasised, followed by
conceptions about a teachers’ knowledge (23%), teachers’ action (16%), the learning environment
(13%), student-teacher relationship (12%) and working environment (8%). In addition to the ideal
synthesis of a professional teacher, this study draws attention to tensions in becoming a teacher.
Balancing curriculum requirements, students’ personal interests, and the disposition in being a person
of authority and caregiver were discussed by multiple participants. Aligning with the results of Pillen
et al. (2013), the desire to give support and the conflicting conceptions of teaching are strongly
emphasised by beginning student teachers. Throughout interviewing 24 participants, 59 discussed
tensions were identified. Similar to presented results student teachers outline, that one can learn from
ones’ tensions. Facing such dispositions may result in negative feelings, but can have positive
consequences if handled reflective. (Upper) Austrian teacher education claims to be reflective and aid
reflection. Multiple researchers state that in many presented findings the success of reflection is
unclear (Maaranen et al., 2016; Marcos, Sanchez, & Tillema, 2011); in contrast, the author of this
paper argues that the presented findings reach a valid level of reflection. By discussing their
professional development, student teachers repeatedly referred to seminars related to their practice
designed to support reflection and personal development. Throughout almost all cases, the seminar
was defined as one of the most important parts of teacher education. The author acknowledges, that
the level of reflection differs between student teachers, it can be argued, that (Upper) Austrian teacher

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education accomplishes a certain level of reflection, in which the development of student teachers is
positively fostered.
6. Conclusion, implications and future research
The current study splits teachers’ professional identity into individual statements about an “ideal”
teacher, “good teaching”, and an “optimal” working environment. While an overall synthesis of a
beginning student teachers’ professional identity is presented, it needs to be mentioned, that due to a
large number of individual statements, and the vast amount of participants, such a construct does not
represent the individual positions of the participants. The purpose of this study was not to analyse the
data set from an individual perspective, but rather to understand what general conceptions about being
a professional teacher existed among students.
According to the results of this study, student teachers’ beliefs about a professional teacher reflected
on teacher characteristics, the knowledge of a teacher, student-teacher relationship, teacher actions,
learning, and working environments. Consequently, student teachers emphasised idealistic views
about being a teacher and the environment of the teaching profession. A vast amount of conceptions
concerned teachers’ characteristics and student-teacher relationships, followed by the importance of a
teachers’ knowledge. Student teachers discuss the importance of personality traits, knowledge, and
relationships intensively and well reflected, yet they portray the profession of a teacher from a strong
pupil-centered perspective. This is understandable since the participants are at the beginning of their
teacher training; personal experiences as pupils have a strong influence regarding to the nature of an
“ideal” teacher, “good” teaching, and an “optimal” working environment. The results of this study
may have been predictable as such. A strong idealistic and pupil-orientated approach of student
teachers at the beginning of their teacher training can be found in multiple studies which use teacher
identity formation as a framework of understanding the professional development of student teachers
(Lamote & Engels, 2010; Lentillon-Kaestner, Guillet-Descas, Martinent, & Cece, 2018; Stenberg et
al., 2014).
“The developing teacher identities of student teachers not only affect their commitment to their teacher
education, but also shape, control and form how they select information from their coursework and
orient themselves towards future teaching” (Stenberg et al., 2014, p. 215). (Upper) Austrian teacher
education provides a constant opportunity to reflect on one’s professional development based on
theoretical inputs and experiences in practice (Altrichter et al., 2015), yet is still unclear how such
guidance influences future teachers in their everyday work. Participants have criticised the lack of
practice, and the dispositions between the beliefs of teachers at practice schools and the theory-driven
understandings of teaching in teacher education. Similar to the results of Allen and Wright (2014), an
optimal practicum environment is desired in which student teachers are able to enact theory without
dispositions between stakeholders about role responsibilities of the university, school staff, and student
teachers. However, it is far from clear which collaborator affects the teaching style of pre-service
teachers the most. Richardson (1996) states, that student teachers’ personal beliefs about the
profession can be so strong, that new information can be ignored during initial teacher training
resulting in teaching based on preexisting (school) experiences and beliefs. It is still unclear how pre-
service teachers adapt to the new Austrian reform in teacher education and which processes influence
teachers’ professional identity development at what scale.
The author highlights, that this paper just represents the first round of interviews, an annual data
collection throughout the whole teacher education program is planned to monitor the professional
identity development of all participants. The presented study aimed to map a starting point for further
research. The follow-up rounds of this research must not only consist of an overall generalization of
student teachers’ professional identity. To understand professional identity development from an
individual perspective, a focus on all various identity positions needs to be established (Stenberg &
Maaranen, 2020). One must also bear in mind, that based on this data, it can not be concluded on, how
teacher education influences the student teacher’s beliefs and therefore professional identity
development. A continuing exploration of teacher students by reconstructing identity through beliefs
and narrations is necessary. The author argues that teachers’ professional identity “reflects not only the

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professional, educational, and pedagogical aspects of being a teacher but – more importantly – the
imprints of the complex interconnectedness of one’s cumulative life experience as a human being”
(Bukor, 2015, p. 323). It is argued, that future research should investigate professional identity from a
holistic perspective of being a teacher, a longitudinal research approach is necessary, ideally starting at
the beginning of an individual teacher’s training throughout the whole career of being a teacher.
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Authors
Gregor STEINBEIß, University of Education Upper Austria, Linz (Austria). E-mail:
gregor.steinbeiss@ph-ooe.at