PRE-SERVICE STUDENT-TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY THROUGHOUT COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A CASE STUDY IN GREECE

This paper seeks to investigate undergraduate students’ views regarding how the pandemic is perceived as having had an impact on them as future educators. The sample consists of students in pre-school education who experienced the pandemic and the changes it brought about during their undergraduate studies. The research data was collected through an anonymous questionnaire followed by a thematic content analysis. From the qualitative data analysis pertaining to the way in which the pandemic affected the respondents’ perception of themselves as a prospective teacher, four categories emerged: i. Changes and Transformations, ii. Loss/Absence, iii. Long Distance Technology, and iv. Experience. It becomes clear that respondents seem to perceive themselves as educators through coping with the changes they face, through utilizing new technologies, and through gaining experience or even lacking it. However, a notable finding of this research is the future perspective and further capitalizing on the experience the students went through. In some cases, this experience is seen as usable in similar circumstances in the future, while in others it is deemed as an all-purpose tool enabling them to overcome any kind of challenge. This research paper aims to contribute with its own approach to a more profound understanding of how the changes experienced by students in times of change and challenge are seen as something of value in reference to their identity.  Article visualizations: