English teaching strategies and their impact on preservice teachers’ Identity development

Abstract

This research aims to understand the connections between professors’ teaching strategies and the development of pre-service teachers’ identity during an English teaching program at a private university in Medellín. This is a qualitative study, based on a historical-hermeneutic paradigm and design as a study case. The data was collected through 3 meetings of two hours each with four pre-service teachers from a private University in Medellin, Colombia. The findings reveal that a) The majority of pre-service teachers recognize the importance of shared experiences with professor’s during their process of development as teachers; b) Teacher identity in training programs is developed through the influence of professors as role models, it was found that teacher styles, good strategies, and approaches of professor’s influence the pre-service teacher’s professional identity as pre-service teachers incorporate professor's teaching styles, methods and behaviors; c) Participants/pre-service teachers recognize professors' attitudes and approaches as valuable insights that impact their own teaching practices. The imitation of models was pointed out as a common pattern in identity formation due to the effectiveness of the results. In conclusion, the construction of teacher identity in pre-service teachers is strengthened through pedagogical strategies, professional modeling and experiences shared by their teachers. These elements, mediated by reflection and dialogue, allow future teachers to project themselves with clarity, critical awareness and professional sense. Identity, understood as a constantly evolving process, is influenced by social experiences and reflective practices, highlighting the importance of meaningful professional experiences in teacher training programs.