Drawing teacher identity: Perspectives of students in a teacher education program

Teacher identity significantly influences pedagogical decisions, classroom practices, and professional development. Understanding the development of preservice teacher identity is particularly important during initial teacher education, as it involves navigating and integrating the perspectives of both a learner and an emerging teacher. This exploratory study investigated the perceptions of teacher identity held by students in a teacher education program at a public university in the United States. Guided by phenomenography and a drawing-based research method, the data sources included drawing tasks and a focus group interview. The findings revealed that the participants had predominantly positive and idealistic views of teacher identity, using various affect-laden symbols in their drawings and depicting themselves with positive characteristics. Although their classrooms were depicted as traditional, the participants emphasized their commitment to promoting student-centered learning and fostering a positive classroom atmosphere. Past schooling experiences were found to be integral in shaping teacher identity, as well as their motivation and passion for teaching a particular subject or concentration area. The findings highlighted that the participants held strong perceptions of teacher identity even before entering the teacher education program. Thus, this study posits that addressing teacher education students' pre-existing beliefs and perceptions is essential to developing positive professional teacher identity development and confirms that drawing can be a powerful reflective tool that stimulates self-awareness of prior beliefs and views toward their chosen teaching profession, thereby preparing them to learn, unlearn, and relearn many aspects of one's personal and professional identity.