Det første møtets sødme? Lærerstudenters første møte med praksisfeltet

This article reports on a qualitative study on the experiences of 126 newly educated preservice teachers from their first encounter with the field of practice, consisting of one week of observations occurring within the first weeks of their studies. The objective of the study was to elucidate the way in which the students’ understanding of the teacher role was altered by this experience, and how their emerging identities as teacher students were affected. The study was conducted through an online open-ended questionnaire and two focus group interviews which were analyzed using Grounded Theory and a constant comparative method. Results indicate that the students primarily focus their attention on the execution of class management, that is, the performance-aspect of the teacher role. Additionally, many students discovered that there is so much more to leading a class than what they had thought or experienced as pupils themselves. Although the development of a teacher identity takes time, the study shows that this development can start early. Observation practice is valuable in this regard. It also gives students relevance and meaning, and is a major influence on their motivation and further commitment.