Where identity meets information: teacher trainees' performance of identity positions and information activities

Introduction. This paper reports findings from an on-going analysis of how pre-school teacher trainees position their identities, as learners and future pre-school teachers, as information activities are performed in a Facebook Group and on a blog.

Method. The analysis is based on results from an ethnographic study at a pre-school teacher-training programme at a Swedish university. Participant observations and interviews were conducted from November 2013 to January 2014, among a class of 249 students who started the programme in 2011.

Analysis. Three types of identity positions are identified through comparative and thematic analysis of 147 Facebook conversations. Interviews with students and teachers are analysed to contextualize and validate the findings from the online interactions.

Results. Three identity positions are identified: discussion-oriented learner, goal-oriented learner and customer-oriented learner. The way a student commits to others, to ideas and to a career choice affects the performance of identity positions and information activities.

Conclusion. The findings presented in this paper begin to chart how the performance of identity positions is connected to the performance of information activities in teacher training. Results suggest that a socio-cultural understanding of identity positioning is valuable for understanding how information activities are performed.