The focus of this study is to identify important factors affect, how teachers' professional identity and role are shaped and changed during and after teacher training. Study's focus is to identify important factors bearing on how teachers' professional identity and role are shaped and changed during and after a teacher training. Respondents included in study are all teachers in vocational subject in upper secondary school. They also have experience from at practical profession before they began to work as teachers and started the teacher training. Method used in this study is the life stories of narrative nature. The questions revolved around the nature of studies and professional lives. It’s found that teachers experience a noticeable difference between the learning in the former profession and learning in academic studies. By participating in different groups during their training, partly with students in other categories partly with those with similar background. In this context the former professional exercise got a different and more important meaning. The conclusion is that institutional learning is of an entirely different character than learning to a practical profession can be, and this will require time for reflection. The question is whether the gap that seems to exist can be overcome if students' professional experiences are procured in a manner that does not neglect scientific fact.

<p>The focus of this study is to identify important factors affect, how teachers' professional identity and role are shaped and changed during and after teacher training. Study's focus is to identify important factors bearing on how teachers' professional identity and role are shaped and changed during and after a teacher training. Respondents included in study are all teachers in vocational subject in upper secondary school. They also have experience from at practical profession before they began to work as teachers and started the teacher training. Method used in this study is the life stories of narrative nature. The questions revolved around the nature of studies and professional lives. It’s found that teachers experience a noticeable difference between the learning in the former profession and learning in academic studies. By participating in different groups during their training, partly with students in other categories partly with those with similar background. In this context the former professional exercise got a different and more important meaning. The conclusion is that institutional learning is of an entirely different character than learning to a practical profession can be, and this will require time for reflection. The question is whether the gap that seems to exist can be overcome if students' professional experiences are procured in a manner that does not neglect scientific fact.</p>