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Identity research allows researchers to examine how PSTs affiliate with or distance themselves
from specific communities as they co-construct representations of self and other through dis-

course (Zotzmann & O’Regan, 2016).

Professional identity is influenced by an individual’s personal background, beliefs, moti-

vation, prior learning experiences, second language teacher education and practical teaching

experiences (Beijaard et al, 2004). Teacher identity thus includes an individual’s vision of who

they are, what kind of a teacher they are, how they see their role as teachers, what kind of

teacher others perceive them to be, what kind of a teacher they must be in order to survive

in each specific context, as well as what kind of teacher they wish to be in the future. This

multifaceted construction of a professional sense of self is the focus of this study.
Wenger’s (1998) conceptualisation of professional identity acknowledges that it evolves

from membership in Communities of Practice (CoP). His concept of the process whereby

novices become involved in CoP is through ‘legitimate peripheral participation‘ (p. 100). This

is a challenging notion for PSTs, since they are newcomers in the institutions where they are

placed for their community service and often feel isolated from their peers. In-service tea-

chers (INSETs) frequently ignore them and expect them to silently follow set school policies

and deal effectively with classroom management. However, lacking input from knowledgeable
others has a negative effect on the construction of professional identity and may cause PSTs

to experience a sense of isolation. Researchers, therefore, need to examine PSTs’ practicum

experiences and reflective practices to explore teacher agency.

Agency is the belief that an individual is able to make the appropriate instructional deci-

sions, knows how to obtain and utilize educational resources, and demonstrates confidence

regarding constructing and maintaining an effective learning environment (Adams & Gupta,

2015). Unless PSTs believe that they are in a position to obtain results, they will not be moti-

Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas