Teacher education is increasingly conceptualized not only as acquisition of theoretical knowledge and practical skills but more as a process of formation of a professional identity, in which values are internalized, enacted, and continuously renegotiated through direct education practice. 

The shift toward intentional practice in teacher education aligns with Schön (1983) theory of the Reflective Practitioner, which proposes reflection as the mechanism through which professionals negotiate values. As noted by Chikoko & Msibi (2020), research identifies that pre-service is a period in which professional teacher identity begins (Walkington, 2005; Cattley, 2007), hence it is considered emerging (Chong et al., 2011). Consequently, its development is an important component of the process of learning to become a teacher (Friesen & Besley, 2013; Beijaard, 2019). A key element central to this formation is the personal dimension of the teacher, which as Mommers et al., (2021) suggest is built upon prior learning experiences, personal characteristics, and existing beliefs that educators bring into their professional practice. 

Expanding on this research, Chikoko and Msibi (2020) emphasize that since pre-service teachers’ identities are fundamentally shaped by personal histories and prior schooling, teacher education programs cannot rely on implicit socialization. Instead, it becomes imperative for these programs to provide explicit interventions that encourage educators to raise awareness of their fixed attitudes and intentionally develop professional dispositions (Willemse & Lunenberg, 2005). 

This study investigates how participation in a value-based education course shapes pre-service early childhood educators’ understanding, prioritization, and enactment of professional values. Rather than assuming that values are fixed traits, the study investigates whether structured coursework can reshape students’ conceptualization and influence how students apply values in practice and in challenging situations. The objective of this study is to explore how a value-based course influences students’ emerging identities as future early childhood educators. Specifically, it seeks to understand how reflective practices foster a value-grounded professional self by addressing the following research questions:

1. How does participation in a value-based course contribute to pre-service teachers’ professional identity, particularly in relation to the development and enactment of values?

1. What professional values do pre-service teachers identify as important for their future role at the beginning of the course?

2. How do pre-service teachers’ understandings and interpretations of these values develop over the duration of the course?

3. How do pre-service teachers describe enacting professional values in educational practice and in challenging situations?

4. How does reflection on values support the formation of pre-service teachers’ professional identity?

The study employed a qualitative pre-post design using open-ended written responses collected at the beginning and end of a course on value-based education in ECE. The design aimed to capture changes in students’ understanding, prioritization, and application of professional values over time. Participants were 17 pre-service ECE students enrolled in the course. At the beginning of the semester, students completed a pre-test focusing on their value awareness, professional aspirations, and preliminary perceptions of the role of values in educational practice. The post-test consisted of added reflective questions addressing transformation of value understanding and application in interactions with children, pedagogical decision-making, and the management of challenging situations. A comparative thematic analysis was conducted. The analysis followed an inductive approach, identifying common themes, categories within each dataset and comparing them across two time points. The analysis focused on shifts in conceptualization, emerging of new values, analysis of challenges, and application of values in real-life practice. This comparative analysis enabled the examination of how students articulated values before and after the intervention, and how reflective insights enabled internalization and integration of values in their pedagogical decision-making.

A comparative thematic analysis revealed significant qualitative change in students’ understanding of professional values over the duration of the course. While values such as patience and respect remained central across pre-post tests, their conceptualization changed. Initially patience and respect were understood as personal traits related to self-control and rule-following, these values were later reframed as active pedagogical strategies involving empathy, emotional regulation, and respect for children’s individuality. New values such as professional reflection, integrity, social justice, and inclusion emerged in post-test responses, indicating a reorganization of students’ professional value systems. The initial findings suggest a transition from abstract moral awareness to integrated, practice-oriented professional identity. Students attributed this change to structured critical reflection, peer discussions, and real-life case studies, which bridged the gap between theory and practice. These results suggest that teacher education should move from abstract value concepts to direct, practice-oriented activities and lived experiences as central to supporting the internalization of values within professional identity.

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