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oai:figshare.com:article/32638500 2026-10-01T16:46:30Z portal_1172 item_type_8 month_year_10_2026

Approximations of practice and teacher identity construction: an exploration of the lived stories of TESOL students on a UK master's course Vanessa McDonagh (24168078) PUREID: 526905266 Language teacher identity construction student-teachers approximations of practice TESOL emotions professional knowledge collaboration micro-teaching reflection This research explores the identity construction of TESOL student-teachers as they navigated their experiences of micro- and practice teaching on a postgraduate teacher education programme in a UK university. Research on teacher identity, and language teacher identity, has grown in recent years with teacher identity now being viewed as something more fluid (Wenger, 1998) and multiple (Lawler, 2014). The participants navigate multiple identities, including being international students adapting to a new culture, and teacher identity. The research looks narratively at identity through the participants’ lived stories (Clandinin and Connelly, 1996; Clandinin and Huber, 2005), using the commonplaces of narrative inquiry (Connelly and Clandinin, 2006) as a way of situating this. There were five participants involved in this research and the data was collected via three individual narrative interviews over the academic year as well as guided reflective journals, written after each micro- and practice teaching opportunity. These were analysed at two levels: narratively at an individual level to trace each participant’s journey of their identity construction using Connelly and Clandinin’s (2006) commonplaces of narrative inquiry; and, across the five narratives where thematic analysis was used to generate and highlight the common themes. These themes were teaching volunteer English language students or ‘real students’ as they are referred to in the study; emotions both positive and negative and how these can affect teacher identity; professional knowledge and growth; and collaboration / working with others. The findings indicate that the experiences of micro- and practice teaching can help to shape a student-teachers’ identity and that greater awareness-raising of teacher identity needs to take place to help new teachers reflect on their journey to becoming teachers while they are studying.<br><br> 2026-10-01T16:46:30Z Text Thesis 10.17034/32638500.v1 https://figshare.com/articles/thesis/Approximations_of_practice_and_teacher_identity_construction_an_exploration_of_the_lived_stories_of_TESOL_students_on_a_UK_master_s_course/32638500 All Rights Reserved