Do I Belong in the Profession? The Cost of Fitting In as a Preservice Teacher With a Passion for Social Justice

Abstract

Preservice teachers enter university with a range of personally held beliefs related to inclusive education and themselves as educators. This article reports on one case study from a larger qualitative research project. The study examined a preservice teacher’s perceptions of herself as an inclusive educator as she approached the final year of her undergraduate degree. Data included a metaphorical representation of being an inclusive educator, and two semi-structured interviews held 6 months apart. The use of collage and a structured written response completed the data set. Evelein and Korthagen’s model of core reflection and Voice-Centred Relational Method were used to analyze the data. Analysis exposed the dissonance between the layers that separate the preservice teacher’s core qualities and the environment. Data are presented using I-poems and discussed using the emerging themes. The consequences for her emerging identity as an inclusive educator and sense of belonging in the profession are discussed.

Dedication to the craft: developing pre-service teachers into social justice advocates through PDS and poetry

“…As their emerging sense of agency and efficacy are tied to their emerging teacher identity, teacher educators need to help PSTs understand their strengths in order to frame their future ideal identity (Beauchamp & Thomas, 2010). Not being prepared for the emotional work related to teaching can impact future professional identities (McKay & Manning, 2019), and so it is important to help PSTs both envision their future ideal identity while also recognizing that they may not become their ideal self-right away (Beauchamp & Thomas, 2010;Beijaard et al, 2004). Speaking to how their future identity relates to their inclusive philosophy, McKay (2016) found that, "in order to support beginning teachers to develop and enact an inclusive philosophy it is important to understand their emotional struggle as they contend with a range of contradictions and struggles in day-to-day teaching" (p. 394).…”

“…The poems also revealed the PST's feelings that in-service teachers had low expectations of her and dismissed her positive ideals. Like Black-Hawkins and Amrhein, McKay and Manning (2019) discussed the emotional labor PSTs experience during their internships, with their participant feeling silenced by the need to mask their social justice beliefs.…”

“…Rather than focus on retrospective reflection, Beauchamp and Thomas (2010) argue for the practice of future reflection by allowing PSTs to imagine the possibilities of who they may become. Anticipatory reflection related to inclusion helps PSTs recognize their strengths and work toward their ideal professional self and who they wish to become (Beijaard et al, 2004;McKay & Manning, 2019). In a phenomenological study conducted at a PDS, Higgins (2018) found that participating in inquiry work helped PSTs reflect on their practice, support their belief development, and come to understand that their practice will be ever-changing.…”

Creencias sobre la inclusión educativa y prácticas docentes en el contexto de aprendizaje de la lectoescritura inicial docentes sobre la inclusión educativa en el contexto de aprendizaje de la lectoescritura inicial

“…Las prácticas pedagógicas inclusivas que promueven la eliminación de las barreras de aprendizaje y participación se generan a partir de la cooperación y las altas expectativas, y propician el aprendizaje dialógico (Salvador, 2013). Un amplio grupo de estudios sobre la inclusión en educación se han orientado a determinar y a caracterizar aquellas prácticas efectivas en la atención del alumnado y su diversidad (Chiner & Cardona, 2012;Flores-Barrera et al, 2017;Graham, 2016;McKay & Manning, 2019).…”

“…En los docentes que participaron en este estudio existe un fuerte cuestionamiento sobre la idoneidad de las prácticas empleadas, lo que se suscita por las creencias sobre el potencial de los estudiantes, pero también por la falta de toma de decisiones basadas en evidencia y una cultura pseudocolaborativa (Park et al, 2016). Esto es aún más evidente en las prácticas de delegación, pues se considera que es trabajo de los especialistas y estos, a su vez, realizan su labor de manera aislada (López et al, 2014;McKay & Manning, 2019). Nuestro estudio ha identificado que las prácticas inclusivas -como la enseñanza adicional, el agrupamiento flexible, la enseñanza adaptativa desde el diseño universal de aprendizaje-son poco utilizadas, esto se debe a la falta de programas de formación permanente y al trabajo colaborativo, aspectos esenciales de un centro educativo inclusivo.…”