Transitioning from music teacher education to professional life: spatially situated possible selves

Abstract This article explores how pre-service music teachers in Norway reflect on their future professional identities and career trajectories during the final year of a five-year generalist teacher education programme. We analyse two group interviews with eight participants – one conducted during the writing of their master’s theses and one shortly after submission. The study is framed by the concept of spatially situated possible selves , combining Markus and Nurius’ theory of possible selves with Massey’s spatial theory to examine how imagined futures could be shaped by institutional, geographic, and social contexts. Thematic analysis reveals four key areas of reflection: career awareness, the influence of past experiences, the shaping role of music teacher education, and the participants’ hybrid positioning between student and teacher roles. Findings suggest that the master’s thesis serves as a transitional tool for professional development and identity formation. We argue that music teacher education can be understood as a contested and evolving space – a multiplicity of ‘stories-so-far’ – where future selves are imagined, negotiated, and constrained.