Exploring professional identity dilemmas of beginning teachers during the transition period from student to teacher

In this study we explored what kind of identity dilemmas beginning teachers experience and how these dilemmas are comparable to those found in the literature. Insight in these dilemmas is needed in order to better understand and conceptualize the support student teachers need. This study takes a professional identity perspective to capture the complexity of the process of learning to teach. Twenty-four beginning teachers were interviewed to validate the identity dilemmas articulated in the research literature. The results showed the kinds of identity dilemmas beginning teachers experienced in relation to the literature and the degree to which they recognized themselves and others in these dilemmas