Profiles and change in beginning teachers' professional identity tensions

• Profiles in beginning teachers' professional identity tensions were studied.
• Professional identity tensions were classified into three themes.
• A cluster analysis identified six teacher profiles.
• Professional identity tensions changed over time.
• Professional identity tensions affected by support provided by significant others.

This study reports on profiles in beginning teachers' professional identity tensions regarding their changing role from student to teacher, their care for students and their orientations towards learning to teach. 373 teachers completed a questionnaire. Cluster analysis identified six profiles: teachers struggling with (views of) significant others, teachers with care-related tensions, teachers with responsibility-related tensions, moderately tense teachers, tension-free teachers, and troubled teachers. Data of 42 teachers who completed the questionnaire twice showed that tensions are subject to change, implying that tensions can be reduced, coped with or altered if support is provided by teacher educators or mentors in schools.