The Role of Interactions and Their Consequences in Intra-School Relationships on the Professional-Self of Student-Teacher Interns

The present study explores the consequences of intra-school interactions on the professional-self of the student-teacher interns at Farhangian University. From the perspective of purpose, this study is an applied research.

The method employed in this study is qualitative, based on grounded theory. The participants included all the student-teachers majoring in primary education, in their 5th to 8th semester of Kohgilouyeh-and BoyerAhmad، Khouzestan, Chaharmahal-and-Bakhtiari, Fars, and Isfahan provinces, who were completing their 1 to 4 internship. Out of this group, 20 volunteer students were interviewed (four interested and academically renowned university students from each province: two males and two females), and 120 internship reports (from the best and most comprehensive ones according to the recommendations of the internship supervisors) were analyzed.  Purposive and theoretical sampling were used for selecting the participants and internship reports.The data collection instruments comprised in-depth interviews and internship reports (internship 1 to 4) of the student-teachers. To ensure the accuracy of the findings, member checking was employed, whereby the final report, which included the generated and revised results, was returned to the participants for confirmation giving them the opportunity to comment on the findings. Triangulation method was utilized in order to increase the reliability and internal validity. Data analysis in the grounded theory was conducted using open coding، axial coding and selective coding.

  The Findings of the study revealed that the role and consequence of positive interactions led to the identification of five professional-self teaching competencies while the role and consequence of negative interactions resulted in the identification of five characteristics, which reflect a lack of professional-self teaching competencies.

The professional teaching competencies comprise ethical teaching competencies, professional commitment competencies, professional skill and performance, motivation and innate passion for teaching, and teaching disposition and temperament. On the other hand, lack of professional-self competencies consists of lack of ethical competencies, lack of professional commitment competencies, lack of professional skill and performance, lack of motivation and innate passion for teaching, and finally lack of teaching disposition and temperament.