Authors
1
. Assistant Professor, Department of Social Science Education, Farhangian University, P.O. Box 14665-889, Tehran, Iran
2
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology and Counseling, Farhangian University, P.O. Box 14665-889, Tehran, Iran.
3
PhD student in Counseling, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran
10.48310/istt.2026.21858.1204
Abstract
Background and Objectives: This research aimed to explore the lived experience of female student teachers at Ilam Farhangian University during their primary school internship. The goal was to examine various dimensions of this experience, including professional interactions, environmental and structural challenges, and the process of forming teacher identity within the cultural context of Ilam province. Method: The study employed a qualitative approach using the phenomenological method based on Cizek’s seven-step model. Participants included female student teachers at Ilam Farhangian University who had completed at least four internship credits and were selected through purposeful sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed until theoretical saturation was reached (10 interviews). The analysis process involved extracting key statements, assigning meaning, and forming main and sub-themes to contextualize the internship experience within the real school environment.Findings: Data analysis resulted in the identification of 25 concepts, 10 sub-categories, and 4 main themes, collectively presenting a multi-faceted picture of the student teachers’ experiences. The themes included “Reciprocal Experiences with Teachers and Principals,” “Bridging the Gap Between University Conceptions and School Realities,” “Limitations,” and “Constructing Teacher Identity Through School Interactions.” The findings indicated that the internship is an opportunity for reflection, self-discovery, and action-based learning that takes shape through engagement with actual educational realities.Conclusion: The internship in the local context of Ilam, with its specific cultural, social, and geographical characteristics, is considered a contextualized and transformative experience for student teachers. The research findings suggest that the interplay between personal, structural, and environmental factors with practical learning processes in schools leads to the development of professional competencies and personal growth. Within this framework, the internship is not merely a training period but a dynamic process in the formation of future teachers’ professional identity and agency—a process that gains meaning through encountering educational realities and local context
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