Three types of student teachers on their path to professionalism: a grounded theory study of biology practicum reflections
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24310/rep.11.1.2026.22758Keywords:
practicum, reflection, teacher professionalism, grounded theory, biology education, student teachers, professionalizationAbstract
This qualitative study examines how biology student teachers in the "Biology for Everyone" project enact professional behaviour in international classes through reflection diaries. Drawing on structural and competence-based approaches to teacher professionalism, data were analysed using the Grounded Theory Method. Seven core dimensions emerged: problem treatment, emotional experience, didactic processing, learner group analysis, self-perception, lesson outcome, and insights gained. Three ideal types of student teachers were reconstructed: the "Disoriented" type clings rigidly to lesson plans despite recognising learner heterogeneity; the "Classical" type flexibly adapts teaching in action and reflects deeply on improvements; the "Avoidant" type attributes persistent comprehension problems to contextual constraints without developing concrete didactic solutions. The article discusses these types in relation to teacher professionalism models and provides implications for practicum design in biology teacher education.
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