The purpose of this interpretive qualitative case study was to explore how possible selves of four pre-service EFL teachers changed during their last 10 months at university and what factors were involved in developing and changing their possible selves. The concept of possible selves is a future-oriented self-concept that involves one's motivation to move toward one's ideal future selves and move away from one's feared selves. Ought-to selves are also believed to work as motivators. The main data sources included two written possible selves stories from each participant, four sets of semi-structured interviews, short e-mail messages with emoticons, and official practicum reports. Through a narrative analysis of these data, I found that participants' rather general possible teacher selves changed to more realistic, elaborated ones after they had experienced practicums. These revised possible selves were not always in the direction of more positive, more ideal selves, but also toward feared and ought-to teacher selves. The data analysis also revealed that the participants found a large gap between their actual L2 selves and ought-to L2 selves, and consequently they developed feared L2 selves who would likely get embarrassed in front of others because of their poor English speaking ability. However, they took no action to prevent their feared L2 selves because becoming fluent in English was possibly seen as a temporally distant unreachable goal that did not merit an investment of time and energy. The study also found that interpersonal relationships with parents, teachers in the past, cooperating teachers during practicum, students at school, and peers were important factors contributing to participants' developing and changing possible selves. I end with suggestions that policy makers, universities, teacher educators, and supervising teachers of student teachers seriously consider issues that will help improve English education in Japan as well as lead to better teacher education programs to prepare EFL pre-service teachers for the rather harsh conditions in the teaching profession in Japan. / Teaching & Learning

Despite the demand for a diverse STEM-educated population and workforce, college students have consistently turned away from these disciplines in large numbers, creating a persistent problem that many are trying to address. The aim of the National Science Foundation's Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program is to inspire, attract, and retain STEM majors. Funding supports undergraduate STEM students' engagement in real-world research alongside STEM mentors. As colleges and universities compete for funding for REUs, it is important to understand the mechanisms within summer research programs that resonate most deeply with undergraduate STEM researchers. While many studies reveal strong correlations between research experiences and STEM aspirations, less is known about the mechanisms within REU programs that support these gains. My research used quantitative and qualitative self-reported data from 20 REU students, 18 of whom were underrepresented minorities in STEM. Over two summers, these students, in cohorts of ten, came to the University of Vermont to participate in a team-oriented, 10-week REU: Interdisciplinary Research on Human Impacts in the Lake Champlain Ecosystem. Two mixed-methods studies, guided by the frameworks of the theory of possible selves, theory of self-efficacy for research, and social cognitive career theory, revealed four important program mechanisms that gave rise to gains in research skills, confidence and self-efficacy for research, and STEM career aspirations, particularly for individuals from underrepresented minority groups in STEM. Findings suggest that the program fostered student capacity building within a safe, inclusive, and positive setting where students experienced what it feels like to be an active participant in the world of research. Within this context, critical mechanisms that gave rise to gains in research skills, confidence and self-efficacy for research, and STEM career aspirations included: (1) experiential education through interdisciplinary research experiences, (2) student independence and ownership balanced with expert researcher guidance and support, (3) formal and informal mentoring networks where students were mentored and where they mentored others, and (4) the establishment of an intentional learning community that advanced leadership, research skill building, perseverance, and reflection. Results from this research cannot be generalized beyond the context of the Lake Champlain REU, however, findings are in alignment with the body of literature that highlights the positive effects of REUs on STEM majors' research skills, confidence and self-efficacy for research, and STEM career aspirations. Using mixed methods to identify and understand the within-program mechanisms that support student gains is a valuable new research approach for this field. Recognizing programmatic mechanisms across REU programs can lead to expansion, replication, and application of these models beyond one institution, resulting in more positive gains for more undergraduate STEM researchers.

Abstract The purpose of the present study was to clarify and describe what image men and women present and communicate in their profiles on an online dating site. Further has been investigated if traditional gender roles and stereotypes are as pronounced on this online platform or if it offers a space to go beyond traditional formations. The theoretical framework of this study consisted of a social psychological idea and understanding of identity as well as a gender theoretical perspective. The methodological points of departure were hermeneutic and the data consisted of ten male and ten female member profiles on match.com. The results of the study was divided into three themes, the emphasis on positive qualities, the attractive body and project manager to one’s own life. The results showed that both men and women present a positive image of themselves in their profiles, both concerning inner and outer qualities. The results also indicated that a life with various social activities is of great importance, which implies a reflexive attitude towards life. To create an image of oneself is strenuous work in constant change. Regarding traditional gender roles and stereotypes about what is being regarded as male and female showed that traditional, stereotype ways of describing masculinity and femininity exist, but there were certain tendencies that a crossing of traditional formations takes place on this platform. However, the result of this study has also revealed that this happens to a lesser extent than we first thought.

Previous research using future time perspective or possible selves frameworks provided evidence that learners with definite and elaborate goals, and future self-guides are more motivated in school tasks (Reeve, 2009; Yowell, 2000), exert more effort, demonstrate persistence, and show greater performance (De Volder & Lens, 1982; Lens et al., 2002; Simons et al., 2000), and learners with positive possible selves were better able to face failure, demonstrated better performance, had higher levels of self-esteem, showed more persistence on tasks, and depicted greater motivation (Cross & Markus, 1994; Oyserman et al., 2004; Unemori et al., 2004). The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of future orientation constructs, future time perspective and possible selves, on Turkish college level learners' motivation to learn English and their identity construction, and how future projections of themselves as L2 users (the ideal L2 self, the ought-to L2 self, and feared L2 self) impacted their motivation to learn English and their identities. A total of 299 Turkish graduate students studying in the United States participated in the study. Also, this study examined the extent to which adding a measure of the feared L2 self construct contributed to explaining motivation to learn English and identity construction. The data were collected via surveys and interviews, and they were analyzed quantitatively, using qualitative data for triangulation. Findings suggested that the L2 motivational self-system (Dornyei, 2005, 2009) contributed to explaining Turkish learners' motivation to learn English and their oriented identities. Also, adding a feared L2 self variable to measures of the L2 motivational self system could help explain learners' identity construction but not their language learning motivation. In addition, future time perspective connectedness and value were not useful in explaining the L2 motivation, but future connectedness was found to be related to the ideal L2 self and feared L2 self, and valuing the future goals was related to the ought-to L2 self. Qualitative data showed that learners presented combination of several identities, including national and oriented. They imagined themselves as professional and successful English users, and their L2 related worries included losing their native language and being seen as "assimilated" or as "showing off" individuals. / text

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The first aim of this research was to identify the factors that relate to the career maturity of school-going girls and more specifically the factor positive possible selves. Secondly, the study aimed to measure the stability of the construct career maturity as learners progress from one grade to the next without any guidance intervention. The work of Super (1957), Crites (1969) and Langley (1988) formed the theoretical framework for the investigation of the contextual factors such as subject choice and career choice and the biological and psychological factors such as grade, self-efficacy, self-esteem, perceived and actual academic achievement and positive possible selves in relation to career maturity. Quantitative research that involved a cross-sectional and longitudinal research design was implemented. Career choice and self-esteem were the strongest predictors of career maturity Self-efficacy showed marginal significance and possible selves explained only 2% of the variance of the dependent variable career maturity. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

The first aim of this research was to identify the factors that relate to the career maturity of school-going girls and more specifically the factor positive possible selves. Secondly, the study aimed to measure the stability of the construct career maturity as learners progress from one grade to the next without any guidance intervention. The work of Super (1957), Crites (1969) and Langley (1988) formed the theoretical framework for the investigation of the contextual factors such as subject choice and career choice and the biological and psychological factors such as grade, self-efficacy, self-esteem, perceived and actual academic achievement and positive possible selves in relation to career maturity. Quantitative research that involved a cross-sectional and longitudinal research design was implemented. Career choice and self-esteem were the strongest predictors of career maturity Self-efficacy showed marginal significance and possible selves explained only 2% of the variance of the dependent variable career maturity. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

Abstract This study explored mathematical identity work by drawing on the cases of Finnish and Slovenian pre-service elementary teachers. All cases reported having had negative experiences with mathematics during their school years. These experiences were shown to have a central meaning for pre-service teachers’ mathematical identities. However, identity also extends to the future. For this reason, pre-service teachers’ anticipations of the future were also explored. The concepts of narrative identity (Ricoeur, 1992) and possible selves (Markus & Nurius, 1989) were applied in the context of mathematics education. The overall narrative perspective of the study enabled a psycho-social understanding of identity. The special interest of the study was confined to an understanding of the role that educational contexts play in pre-service teachers’ mathematical identity work. Narrative inquiry was applied as a research methodology. In-depth interviews invited pre-service teachers to construct narratives of their mathematics-related experiences. These narratives were analysed holistically and categorically, as well as in terms of content and form. The findings showed striking similarities in pre-service teachers’ school-time memories. The cases in question felt like victims of their own mathematical experiences. The anticipations of mathematics teaching were also underlined by the challenges rooted in their school-time experiences. However, a surprising finding was that the identity work in which the Finnish and Slovenian cases engaged during their teacher education differed substantially. The main reasons for the differences in identity work seemed to stem from different emphases and pedagogical practices in mathematics education courses within the Finnish and Slovenian teacher education settings. The study argued that identity work can be facilitated during teacher education. To begin such a process, it would be central to focus on pre-service teachers’ biographical context through narrative pedagogical tools. The findings also showed that neglecting issues from school-time experiences might engender further challenges for pre-service teachers’ future mathematics teaching. Finally, the study argued for the need to openly address identity during teacher education. The significant theoretical contribution of the study is the conceptualisation of ‘mathematical identity work’. / Tiivistelmä Tutkimuksessa tarkasteltiin matemaattista identiteettityötä suomalaisten ja slovenialaisten luokanopettajaopiskelijoiden kokemusten kautta. Opiskelijoiden mukaan heillä oli ollut omana kouluaikanaan kielteisiä matematiikan opintoihin liittyviä kokemuksia, joilla osoitettiin olevan negatiivisia vaikutuksia opiskelijoiden matemaattisiin identiteetteihin. Koska tutkimuksessa korostuu identiteetin tulevaisuusaspekti, tarkastelun kohteina olivat opiskelijoiden tulevaisuuteen liittyvät toiveet ja odotukset. Tutkimuksessa sovellettiin narratiivisen identiteetin (Ricoeur, 1992) ja mahdollisten minuuksien (Markus & Nurius, 1989) käsitteitä matematiikan opetuksen kontekstissa. Identiteetin ymmärtämisen psyko-sosiaalisena ilmiönä mahdollisti narratiivinen näkökulma. Erityinen huomio kohdistettiin siihen, millainen merkitys kasvatuksellisilla konteksteilla on luokanopettajaopiskelijoiden matemaattisessa identiteettityössä. Tutkimusmetodologiana käytettiin narratiivista tutkimusta. Opiskelijat kertoivat syvähaastatteluissa matematiikkaan liittyvistä kokemuksistaan. Nämä narratiivit analysoitiin holistisesti ja kategorisesti ottaen huomioon myös niiden sisältö ja muoto. Tuloksista ilmenee merkittävää samankaltaisuutta luokanopettajaopiskelijoiden omaan kouluaikaan liittyvissä muistoissa. Monet esimerkiksi kuvailivat itsensä uhreiksi. Myös tulevaan matematiikan opetukseen liittyvät ennakko-odotukset olivat värittyneet opettajaopiskelijoiden omaan kouluaikaan liittyvien haasteellisten kokemusten kautta. Yllättävä tulos oli se, että suomalaisten ja slovenialaisten opiskelijoiden luokanopettajakoulutuksen aikainen identiteettityö erosi huomattavasti toisistaan. Erojen pääsyynä ovat nähtävästi erilaiset painotukset ja käytänteet opettajankoulutuksen matematiikan pedagogisissa opinnoissa. Tutkimus osoittaa, että identiteettityötä voidaan pyrkiä edistämään opettajankoulutuksen aikana. Prosessin aloittamiseksi olisi tärkeää kohdentaa huomio opettajaopiskelijoiden elämäkerrallisiin konteksteihin soveltamalla narratiivisia pedagogisia työkaluja. Sillä että omaan kouluaikaan liittyviä kokemuksia ei oteta huomioon, voi olla kielteisiä heijastuksia opettajaopiskelijoiden tulevaan matematiikan opetukseen. Tutkimuksen mukaan identiteetti on syytä ottaa avoimesti tarkasteluun opettajankoulutuksen aikana. Tutkimuksen teorian kannalta merkittävä anti on termin matemaattinen identiteettityö käsitteellistäminen.

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