“But I’m Only a Preservice Teacher”: Teacher Identity Discourse Within an English Teacher Online Affinity Space

The ways in which beginning teachers share and reflect upon their pedagogical experiences have important implications for their evolving identities (Alsup, 2006). Web-based social networks (also referred to as online affinity spaces) offer preservice teachers space to express themselves and explore their developing stances beyond the time and interactive constraints of practicum or methods courses. This qualitative study aimed to investigate how preservice teachers in a Secondary English Language Arts teacher education program utilized an online teacher affinity space called Ning to engage in discussions with peers. It specifically focused on the language they used to unpack both theories and strategies learned in their classes and observations and experiences collected during their field experiences. Data sources include excerpts from their online discussion forum contributions. The results indicate that online teacher affinity spaces can support teacher identity discourse and help bridge the divide of theory and practice. Additionally, the study provides insight into the ways in which preservice teachers use language to reflect on their evolving teacher identities. The study has research implications for the role of online teacher affinity spaces as platforms for fostering reflective and identity developing talk among preservice teachers. Pedagogical implications for teacher education are also discussed.