Mentoring for Professional Identity Construction in EFL Pre-Service Teacher Education

Abstract

Teacher identity, neither stable nor predetermined, plays a key role in decision-making on pedagogical practices. Research demonstrates that identity formation is enacted via various interactions of mentors, students, colleagues, and significant others. Practicum is, thus, an important space for exploring pre-service teacher identities through mentoring to encourage them for critical reflections over their dispositions of the professional identities. This study explores how a mentoring program at a Turkish university contributes to a group of EFL student teachers' identity formation. Three semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven male and five female participants; the research found out three significant spaces facilitating the identification and transformation of their initial professional identities. Namely, practice, peer collaboration and mentoring discussions enhanced the awareness, analytical and reflective skills through open, challenging but supportive mentoring.