Construction and deconstruction of student teachers’ professional identity: A narrative study

Abstract Five student teachers’ professional identities, formed during their Islamic teacher education program, were examined. Narrative methodology revealed the formation of an ambiguous epistemic orientation to teaching during their education’s first three years. The pedagogical and socio-cultural context of teacher education program and a lack of previous teaching interest may have contributed to this identity formation. Their narratives (collected through interviews and journals) showed they deconstructed their identities from an ambiguous to an emancipating epistemic orientation during their practicum. Among other possible factors, an “internal dialogue,” established between their personal and professional selves while observing real conditions of students in schools, contributed to this deconstruction.