Wondering and wandering: trainee teachers’ conflicting professional identities in the time of COVID-19

Wondering and wandering: trainee teachers’ conflicting professional identities in the time of COVID-19

• Gaëlle Lefer Sauvage, Centre Universitaire de Formations et de Recherches , France

• Sylvain Genevois, Institut national supérieur du professorat et de l’éducation, France

• Nathalie Wallian, Institut national supérieur du professorat et de l’éducation, France

• Cendrine Mercier, Institut national supérieur du professorat et de l’éducation, France

doi : 10.18162/fp.2020.690

Résumé

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the professionalization that is part of the professional identity (Perez-Roux, 2016) was thrust into dimensions that required identity adjustments. In this exploratory study, a questionnaire was administered to 321 trainee teachers. Statistical analyses combined with transcripts indicate the pandemic’s effects on professional priorities (resource persons, power relationships between training institutes and professionalization) as well as tensions due to hidden relational identities that complicate the path to professionalization. Perspectives are proposed in terms of university training in contextualization.

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the professionalization that is part of the professional identity (Perez-Roux, 2016) was thrust into dimensions that required identity adjustments. In this exploratory study, a questionnaire was administered to 321 trainee teachers. Statistical analyses combined with transcripts indicate the pandemic’s effects on professional priorities (resource persons, power relationships between training institutes and professionalization) as well as tensions due to hidden relational identities that complicate the path to professionalization. Perspectives are proposed in terms of university training in contextualization.