Exploring Possible Selves Through Sharing Stories Online: Case Studies of Preservice Teachers in Bilingual Classrooms

Abstract

We examined how narrative was used in online classroom discussion as preservice bilingual teachers experimented with possible future selves. Considering associations between narrative and identity construction, we explored the complementary roles of stories from personal past experiences and backgrounds, experience as teacher interns, and imagined experiences of possible future selves as four preservice teachers endeavored to understand what it means to be a teacher of bilingual children. Data came from transcripts of nine computer-mediated discussions (CMDs) incorporated as a classroom activity in a theory-into-practice teacher preparation course. Findings suggest that preservice teachers’ diverse trajectories to becoming bilingual and their motivations for becoming teachers as expressed in narratives during CMD have the potential to increase the specificity and diversity of possible selves for all discussion participants. Narratives shared in discussion allow all preservice teachers to borrow from a library of lived experiences to inform their imagined future teaching selves.

Building an Online Collaborative Learning Community of Pre-service Teachers of EFL

“…She stated in the second focus-group interview (FGI) and the final interview that prior to participation, she was feeling unsatisfied with the fact that she belonged to a rather small community of one university without enough chances to share ideas with her classmates. The community of the current project became a place for her to learn alternative possibilities and scenarios of possible teaching selves [13]. The other participants stated the same opinion as Kay on this point in their final interviews (Eri and Mina, third-year student teachers, and Jun, fourth-year student teacher, from University A).…”

“…Williams and Ritter [19] also emphasise that collaborative inquiries of practice will "increase social support, foster a culture of reflection and help avoid solipsism" (83). Thus reflection in collaborative groups facilitates pre-service teachers' mutual learning via providing different possibilities and scenarios of their possible teaching selves and repertoires of teaching [13].…”

“…Reflection, thus, is crucial for pre-service teachers as it helps them connect the gap between the "imagined views and the realities of teaching" (Lee: 117) [11]. Also, through critiquing their own teaching practice, pre-service teachers can use reflection to enhance their beliefs [12] and professional identity [9,13]. Thus, the current study seeks to explore pre-service teachers' professional development through the model of teachers as reflective practitioners.…”

Poetry and possible selves: Crisis theory with/in teacher education programs

“…In other words, for teacher educators to glean a better sense of their students, they should utilize prospective reflection (through alternative assignments as suggested above) to gauge preservice teachers' emotional well-being. Instead of reflecting on the present crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, redirecting reflection in a prospective frame allows teacher educators to comprehend students’ individual “goals, dreams, and anxieties for the future” ( Gaines et al., 2018 , p. 209), a better indicator of the long-term well-being of the preservice teacher and, thus, the teacher education program.…”

A Call to Action for Teacher Preparation Programs: Supporting Critical Conversations and Democratic Action in Safe Learning Environments

“…They should also know that facilitating discussions deemed controversial may lead to conflict or resistance, but that this resistance is necessary for productive learning environments (Toshalis, 2015). As noted by authors in this issue of Journal of Teacher Education ( JTE ), for example, storytelling is a useful tool by which to acquire first-person perspectives such that the teacher is better prepared to make professional decisions that lead to productive pedagogical outcomes, and interactions that students and families translate as caring (see Gaines et al, 2018; Reismann et al, 2018).…”