PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY CONSTRUCTION AS CONFLICTIVE NEGOTIATION OF SUBJECT POSITIONS ALONG THE PRACTICUM

Abstract

This study offers an interpretation of the process of professional identity construction of a student-teacher of English throughout her experiences in the supervised teaching practicum at Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC). Understanding this practicum as a community of practice (WENGER, 1998) involving student-teachers, schoolteachers, teacher educators, and school students, we look into the professional trajectory of a student-teacher through her relationship with her supervisor (teacher educator). The data was gathered by means of semi-structured private interviews with the student-teacher and her supervisor, in which they told their personal stories, career plans and reflected about their whole practicum experience. The analysis of data shows conflictive negotiation of subject positions among the participants regarding their expectations about the practicum and their beliefs about teaching. We also show how student and teacher identities worked simultaneously in the student-teacher trajectory along the practicum. Based on the research, we can conclude that experiences in that context enabled the student-teacher to change her story of teaching to include a new identification as a reflective teacher, which can be considered a sign of learning (SFARD & PRUSAK, 2005), of aligning with the practices of that community of teachers, and thus of belonging to it (WENGER, 1998).