Pre-service teachers` beliefs and standards for teacher training: Tensions and challenges in the construction of professional identity

Abstract

The present study is mixed research whose objective is to investigate the beliefs about teaching and learning that first-year student teachers have and their relationship with current standards for teacher training. To collect data, a questionnaire was designed with propositions about the teaching profession and the Chilean educational system, which was applied between March and May 2024, with a total of 422 responses. The results show appreciation of student-centered teaching and a high degree of agreement with a dynamic vision of learning. At the same time, beliefs based on intuition and affect rather than on verifiable evidence are observed, revealing tensions with some assumptions of the Pedagogical Standards, particularly those related to the dimensions of Teaching Preparation and Professional Responsibilities. Based on this, it is suggested to incorporate and/or strengthen biographical inquiry strategies to reveal this preformative knowledge with which students enter. Likewise, it is necessary to monitor the evolution of these beliefs during initial training to evaluate their change or permanence, aimed at promoting the construction of a flexible professional identity in tune with these standards.