The Paradox of the Practicum: Affinity to and Resistance towards Teaching

Abstract

The sense of affinity to teaching profession among a group of five Colombian pre-service teachers manifested as a result of their practicum is explored in this paper. The impact that a four month teaching experience caused in their professional development was at the center of this exploratory study. Interviews and online blogs were the research methods used for data collection while content analysis was the analytical approach. How the practicum influenced prospective teachers’ professional future agendas led two contrasting findings: alignment with or resistance to teaching profession. This study can shed light on the conceptualisation and understanding of how teachers come to be.

Keywords

• practicum
• professional affiliation
• resistance