Emotional vulnerability and coping strategies among Turkish student teachers: A community of practice perspective

Abstract

Despite the growth of research on teachers’ emotional vulnerability in recent years, little research has explored this issue among student teachers. Drawing on the lens of the community of practice (CoP), in this study, we report on the emotional vulnerability and coping strategies of Turkish student teachers during a teacher education course. Data were collected before, during, and after the course using semi-structured interviews, reflective journals, and narrative frames. Data analysis revealed that across the engagement, imagination, and alignment dimensions of the CoP, the student teachers experienced emotional vulnerability that not only influenced their present membership but also negatively shaped their future perceptions. Additionally, the student teachers adopted various personal and interpersonal coping strategies to regulate their negative emotions, which reduced the negative effects of emotional vulnerability on their CoP membership. We conclude the study with implications for teacher educators in how to use the findings to deal with student teachers’ emotional vulnerability, especially through drawing on their coping strategies.