Modeling a pre-service teacher´s identity

Abstract

This research emphasizes on the use of the narrative inquiry methodology in order to narrate experiences of my different life stages, which guided me into completing my Bachelor’s degree in Teaching English as a foreign language at the University of Santo Tomas through distance education. It involves some of the most important elements that made this accomplishment possible such as interculturality, family support, being a stay at home mother and most importantly identity formation. The research design applied in order to develop this autobiographical study was a narrative. All data used for the completion of this project was based on the instruments proposed by Barkhuizen et al, this data gives account of my personal and academic experiences. Through the elaboration of different narratives, the transcription of the interviews, and through the analysis of different photographs about different stages of my life, I was able to reflect on the aspects of my life that could be considered turning points and that have influenced me into taking the path of searching an education after establishing a family. The implementation of a thematic analysis was applied to the different stories/narrations throughout this project, and through them, I was able to appreciate that the different life stages that I went through as: a child, teenager and young adult were the experiences that structured me into the: adult, mother, wife, daughter, student and teacher that I am today. Beyond the narration description of different life stages, I was able to conclude on which factors caused the most impact and to shape the identity that defines me to this day.