Co-construction of Teacher Identities in Early Childhood Education: Shared Narratives of Seven Chilean Educators
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15359/ree.30-1.20156Keywords:
Teacher Identity, early childhood education, narrative research, co-construction, SDG 4, quality education, teacher quality, SDG 5, gender equality, gender discoursesAbstract
Introduction. Professional teacher identity in early childhood education is shaped within a complex environment influenced by personal experiences, training contexts, and structural challenges such as early schoolification, the feminization of the field, and the lack of professional recognition. Purpose. This study analyzes the key factors contributing to the construction of professional identity throughout the training trajectories of experienced early childhood educators. Methodology. The study employed a qualitative research design with a narrative and interpretative approach, involving seven Chilean early childhood educators. Biographical interviews were conducted, followed by two co-construction sessions, which were analysed through thematic-narrative analysis. Results. Four key dimensions were identified: (1) Early identity experiences; (2) Practicum as a space for professional validation; (3) Recognition in dispute, schoolification, and gender; and (4) Professional awareness as a tool for identity resistance. Conclusions. For the participants, professional identity in early childhood education is configured at the intersection of biography, training, and social recognition, within a field shaped by a triple devaluation: underestimation of the educational level, delegitimization of pedagogical care knowledge, and low valuation of historically feminized work. Despite this, forms of agency and resistance oriented toward justice and recognition emerge, offering criteria for strengthening practicum experiences through reflective and collaborative methodologies in both initial and continuing teacher education.
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