After choosing a teaching profession and starting their studies in higher education, students consciously and/or unconsciously begin to identify themselves with the chosen profession, seeking experiences that justify their choice, and form their professional identity. Hence, it is important to understand how various factors, such as who, what, and how, influence the development of future teachers’ identity, as well as the role that various reflection methods play in the process of identity formation. The current study focuses on the analysis of pre-service teachers’ reflections during their teaching practice. While studying, reflection creates preconditions for getting to know oneself better and anticipating one’s path as a future teacher, i.e. to form one’s own identity. Yet, different students may reach different levels of reflection, which can cover the different components of professional identity. The aim of the study is to explore how reflection functions as a tool for professional learning and identity development in teacher education. The study examines the written reflections of pre-service teachers during their teaching practice using qualitative content analysis. A total of 35 reflections written by pre-service primary teachers were analyzed to identify the recurring themes, reflective depth, and evidence of pedagogical reasoning. The findings reveal that most reflections focus on classroom management and student engagement, whereas only a few demonstrate critical self-evaluation and in-depth perception of one’s teacher identity.

Keywords: Pre-service teachers, professional identity, reflection, teaching practice.