Identidad profesional de educadoras de párvulos: Huellas biográficas de su infancia y adolescencia

Abstract

Professional teaching identity is a dynamic and multiple concept which is closely related to aspects of personal identity and the capacity for human agency. This research aims to describe childhood and adolescent experiences, understood as biographical traces, reported by a group of eight Chilean kindergarten educators in the context of the development of their professional teaching identity. We used a qualitative method of biographical-narrative orientation, developed from semi-structured interviews, journey plots and biograms. We applied a thematic analysis to these materials in order to group their biographical traces. Topics account experiences related to significant people, neglect/abandonment, care, school and vocation. In their narratives, educators acknowledge the impact of their early family, school, and community experiences on the formation of their teaching identities. The exploration of biographical traces through narratives reveals the close connection between personal and professional life, emphasizing this intersection as crucial for strengthening teacher education in early childhood.