The role of the teacher alters with changes and developments in society. Once a teacher was responsible for the guardianship of the intellectual life of the community and for distributing book knowledge. This has changed. Nowadays the teacher is an independent professional, providing support for student’s personal growth and development. This transformation has engendered diverse interpretations of social processes relating to the teaching profession. This current research focuses on teacher students` professionalism. It should be stressed that debates around the notion of what it means to be a professional focus on three central issues – knowledge, autonomy and responsibility (Furlong et al. 2000). Those aspects of professionalism must, in the opinion of the writers, be clearly addressed in initial teacher training. But, who or what is a professional teacher – how do we recognize one? What should s/he be like? According to Terhard (2004) the image of the teacher gives rise to such questions as: What is the purpose of teaching? What are the characteristics of a good teacher? What social changes should s/he take into consideration? There are many to choose from in transforming times. There are changes in social models of the family and childhood and youth. There are changes in lifestyles. Today’s teachers could face uncertainties unknown in the recent past. These uncertainties include a weak connection between education and a chosen profession, an acceleration in the obsolescence of knowledge and qualifications, the importance of constant adaptation and updating of knowledge, the increasing role of information technology and communication, globalisation in both private and professional life. Many post-modern authors avoid a definition of a professional teacher and their role in the delivery of education. Moore (Moore 1996), for example, takes Foucault’s idea that theories (discourses, concepts) do not describe reality but ‘produce’ it postulating that a teacher profile – a written text such as a model of competences – can produce its own fields of meaning. The author’s of this paper, however, believe that standards of professional competences can provide a solid base for useful, practical feedback to the student teacher, helping to develop professionalism. The aim of this research was to create and analyze a semi-structured interview and resultant feedback as a tool for supporting student teachers professional growth. Questions were divided into four major sections: · The teacher’s role in society, · The teacher’s role as a manager of the learning process · The teacher’s role as a supporter of individual growth · The teacher’s role as a learner Feedback included informing the students about how their answers corresponded with the presupposed answers of professional teachers. With regard to the interviewers the process provided: • Opportunity to practice interviewing skills and giving feedback; • The scientific demonstration (based on qualitative analysis) that a questionnaire and feedback could encourage students to reflect more profoundly upon the teaching profession.

The semi structured interview and feedback was based on the description of teacher professionalism in Estonia included in the National Teacher's Standard of Professional Competence (2006) and in the evaluation criteria for pedagogical practice established by Tallinn University (2002). Seven student teachers were interviewed and provided with feedback by researchers in November of 2007. The students were future teachers of German language and future teachers of elementary school. The results were analyzed.

The main outcome of the research is a methodology for supporting student teachers professional growth by implementing semi- structured interview and feedback.