Hizmet öncesi İngilizce öğretmenlerinin erken öğretmen kimliği oluşturmaları: Öğretmenlik uygulaması sürecinde yansıtıcı anlatımlar

This qualitative study is designed to dwell on the emerging teacher identity constructions of Turkish pre-service EFL (i.e., English as a foreign language) teachers during the practicum period. The aim of this research is to examine how they shape their identity, how this emerging identity develops over this process, and the elements that contribute to/impede this construction. To unpack the dynamics of these identities; pre-service teachers' narrations gathered through interviews were used as main sources, while observation of their experiences, reflection reports, focus group discussion, and examination of practicum-related documents were used as complementary sources of data. The analyses have demonstrated the navigation of dynamic identities has been influenced by many elements such as preset images of teachers, past experiences as learners, and motives for teaching, while the critical reflection in the process has reformed their initial and ongoing self-perceptions. The findings provide a detailed framework upon how Turkish pre-service EFL teachers construct, develop, and negotiate their identities during the practicum period, which might help empower pre-service EFL teachers to gain more reflective insight upon themselves as teachers. In turn, the favoring and disfavoring conditions upon constructing a healthy early teacher identity might indicate the necessity of making informed adjustments in the practicum and in the teacher education programs overall.