Cultivating resilience through a community of inquiry: how academic emotions impact the professional growth of pre-service teachers

This research investigates the academic emotions of pre-service primary school teachers in Hong Kong and the influence of these emotions on professional resilience. It can inform the development of teacher education programmes that address holistic emotional competencies. Applying the community of inquiry (CoI) framework as a conceptual lens, we focused on the cognitive, social and teaching presence of seven first-year Postgraduate Diploma in Education students. Data were collected through reflective journals and interviews and subjected to thematic analysis. We adopted an interpretivist paradigm and used the CoI framework as a scaffold to identify themes related to cognitive, social and teaching presence. The qualitative analysis indicated that the participants’ practicum experiences were characterised by the complex interplay of the three forms of presence, which contributed to professional growth and resilience. They encountered cognitive challenges that elicited strong emotional responses, found strength in their social connections and received guidance from experienced teachers. This study provides valuable insights for teachers, policymakers and teacher educators who aim to enhance support systems and foster professional resilience among pre-service teachers.