Chapter 1. Setting the Stage for Student Teacher Identities in Initial Teacher Education -- Chapter 2. Initial Teacher Education and Its Representation in Literature: Global Policy Narratives -- Chapter 3. The Attractiveness of the Teaching Profession and Possible Links to Career Choice Motivations. - Chapter 4. Always Wanted to Become a Teacher Because…Exploring Career Choice Motivations from the Lens of Actor-Network Theory -- Chapter 5. Who Am I? Student Teachers and Their Narratives of Identity Perception, Construction and Performance -- Chapter 6. The Presentation of Personal and Professional Selves: A Goffmanesque Perspective of Student Teachers’ Identity Crises -- Chapter 7. Exploring the Role of School Placement from a Foucauldian Perspective: The Theory-Policy-Practice Divide -- Chapter 8. Professional Standardization and Teacher Agency? What Space for Leadership Development? Chapter 9. Concluding Remarks.

This book explores the perception, construction and performance of professional identities in initial teacher education (ITE). Drawn from a collection of narrative data from postgraduate students, the author explores these topics through school placement, career choice motivations, the attractiveness of the teaching profession, the presentation of personal and professional selves, and professional standards. The findings of this study can be applied across both European and global dimensions. The use of narrative methodology for data collection, in addition to the implementation of various theoretical frameworks, ensures that the book holds a wide appeal. Interweaving theory with personal experiences, this reflective book will appeal to students and scholars of ITE, as well as early career researchers and practitioners.