A multitude of changes have been observed in teachers’ work, making the profession more complicated and demanding (Räsänen et al., 2020). Alongside of these changes, researchers concerned with initial teacher education have been trying to identify the professional learning needs of pre-service teachers (Livingstone & Flores, 2017) to prepare them for the rapidly changing, complex and demanding future work of a teacher. Research on in-service teachers has focused, for instance, on the new realities of teachers’ work, teacher competence needed (Metsäpelto et al., 2021) and the impact of various working conditions on teacher retention and attrition (Kelly et al., 2019).

Teacher education research has long been concerned with pre-service teachers’ conceptions of teaching and learning due to their impact on teachers’ instructional practices. Various conceptions have been addressed in the research literature, such as pre-service teachers’ conceptions of specific subjects (Lau, 2022), conceptions of assessment (Lutovac & Flores, 2022), conceptions of online learning and digital literacy (Tarchi et al., 2022) and conceptions of self-as-a-teacher (Lee & Schallert, 2016) to name a few. Pre-service teachers’ conceptions have been investigated in relation to personal practical theories and reflection (Körkkö et al., 2016).  Concerning in-service teachers, previous research has targeted, for instance, teachers’ conceptions of assessment (Brown et al., 2019) and conception of inclusive education (Sanagi, 2016). Pre-service and in-service teachers’ conceptions of teachers’ work, however, have received lesser attention but may be crucial at the point in time of uncertainty in teachers’ professional lives and work and when the changes in the society and teaching profession have brought forth the need to “(re)think ways of (re)educating teachers for scenarios that are unpredictable and unknown” (Flores, 2020, p. 453). Gaining a deeper understanding of pre-service and in-service teachers’ conceptions of teachers’ (changing) work can contribute to the discussion about professional development of future teachers and other important constructs regarding teachers’ work, such as teacher identity, resilience, attrition and retention. Better understanding pre-service teachers’ conceptions of teachers’ work is also important for elucidating what pre-service teachers learn during teacher education, how prepared they feel when entering the profession, how they respond to change and how these responses impact teacher attrition. 

This study aims to examine Finnish pre-service and in-service teachers’ perspectives of teachers’ work today to shed light on diversity in teachers’ work. Moreover, this study aims to better prepare pre-service and in-service teachers to tolerate change, anticipate and respond to it and, more importantly, act as agents of change. In addition to social skills, this level of flexibility and adaptability is emphasized as an important professional skill of the twenty-first century. The research question guiding this work is: How do pre-service and in-service teachers conceive the new realities of teachers’ work? 

This study forms a part of two larger projects - Unpacking and Redefining Changing Relationships in Teachers’ Work’ (RELA) and ‘Pre-service Teachers Navigate Teachers’ Changing Work and Its Relationality (NAVI). The participants in the study are 22 pre-service subject teachers and 21 primary and lower secondary school in-service teachers. Twenty-two pre-service teachers study various master’s programmes, such as Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Music, and Languages (e.g. Finnish, English, Swedish, German) and were invited to participate in the study as part of one course in their teacher education programme. The participants were in their third year of studies, did not have any teaching practicum prior to the course and had during the course received their first formal training in educational studies. As part of one lecture, open question “What it teachers’ work today like?” was posed to prompt the written narratives which pre-service teachers submitted via Webropol survey and reporting tool. Pre-service teachers were informed about the study in detail and the and all provided a written consent for the use of their writings as research material. Twenty-one in-service teachers’ ages, previous working experiences as well as geographical areas varied. The teachers were recruited via a call to participate in the research advertised on different social media platforms, using the researchers’ personal contacts and the snowball method. The teachers answered to a Webropol survey with an open question “Please tell, what is teachers’ work today like?”. The Webropol survey included all information of the study and its objectives. The participants gave their consent for the study by answering the survey. Pre-service and in-service teachers’ writings were first analysed separately. Inductive thematic analysis was performed, identifying the common themes that cut across 22 written narratives of pre-service teachers and 21 written narratives of in-service teachers. First, all the writings were read carefully. Notes were made about all the key issues highlighted in each writing. Second, the notes were read carefully and key issues arising from them were clustered into wider themes – pre-service and in-service teachers’ conceptions of teachers’ work today. In the final stage of analysis, the themes emerging from pre-service and in-service teachers’ writings were compared.

Three central conceptions were identified both in pre-service teachers’ and in-service teachers’ writings: a) the changed role of a teacher, b) increased responsibilities of a teacher and the multifaceted nature of teachers’ work, and c) the challenges and complexities faced by a teacher. The conception “The changed role of the teacher” displays how pre-service teachers see that a teacher has an important socialization role in the lives of pupils and this role brings forth the increasing need for social and interpersonal skills. In-service teachers refer to their role in socializing pupils through pondering the transfer of educational responsibility from homes to schools and teachers. They highlight the change in parenthood and family life which impacts on schooling. The conception “Increased responsibilities of a teacher and the multifaceted nature of teachers’ work” brings forth pre-service teachers’ awareness of accountability for the pupils' learning, growth and development into functioning members of society and with these responsibilities evolving fears regarding their future work and a growing sense of insecurity and inadequacy. Similarly, in-service teachers talk about increased work tasks and responsibilities as well as lack of resources which together cause inadequacy and aggravate the possibilities of carrying out inclusive education in the best way possible. The conception “The challenges and complexities faced by a teacher” highlights pre-service teachers’ pressure to change, the need to meet the needs of individual pupils, and the challenges of communicating with parents and colleagues. Similarly, in-service teachers highlight that meeting the various needs of pupils can overwhelm teachers. Collaboration with colleagues and guardians are also seen as burdening sometimes. In-service teachers highlight the need to set boundaries in their work. Despite challenges, both pre- and in-service teachers find teacher work rewarding.

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