The literary fiction in the construction of teacher identity

Abstract

The driving force behind this inquiry is the paradox that arises between a societal expectation marked by high standards (wherein educators are tasked with ensuring the acquisition of literacy skills and cultivating a reading culture among their students) and a disconcerting reality (on where reading fails to occupy a central position in the professional identity of prospective teachers). Consequently, this article delves into the utilization of fictional novels as a catalyst for the construction of teacher identity, achieved through a meticulous examination of the narratological elements interwoven within the text, and facilitated through structured discussions akin to a literary circle.

Specifically, this study endeavors, via a case study involving primary teacher education students and centered around the novel “Clarissa” by Stefan Zweig, to ascertain the extent to which reflective and collective engagement with literature can engender a forward-looking perspective regarding their professional trajectory in education. Employing methodologies encompassing action research, textual analysis, and narrative inquiry, the findings elucidate that the deliberate exploration of this novel within the context of the Field experience program offers a fertile ground, as perceived by the participants, for imbuing meaning into the establishment of a robust teacher identity in weak readers.