Exploring Pre-Service Teachers’ Professional Learning Process in Iran Through a CBAM-Based Approach

This study examined pre-service elementary school teachers’ perceptions of a semester-long professional learning programme in Iran, focusing on perceived shifts in their concerns, drawing on the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) as the theoretical framework. Adopting a CBAM-informed, directed (deductive–inductive) qualitative content analysis of the written reflections of 30 pre-service teachers across two provinces, the study traced perceived shifts in participants’ concerns throughout their professional learning journey. Consistent with CBAM’s developmental stages, the analysis of participants’ reflections suggested a perceived transition from self-focused concerns to concerns about teaching effectiveness. This shift—from self-oriented concerns toward task- and effectiveness-oriented concerns—aligns with the model’s prediction that individuals move through self, task, and effectiveness concerns as they adopt new practices. The findings also suggest that this progression is associated with the development of professional identity, personal beliefs, and the capacity for lifelong learning. Although the training process placed many participants in unfamiliar contexts, it provided valuable experiences that encouraged active engagement in curriculum design. Despite facing uncertainty and challenges, participants developed the psychological readiness to continue their professional journey. Because the study is based on self-reported written reflections rather than classroom observation, teaching performance, or pupil outcomes, the findings are presented as perceived shifts in pre-service teachers’ reflections, concerns, and professional readiness, rather than as demonstrated impact on attitudes, practices, or teaching outcomes. Overall, these findings underscore the relevance of CBAM for understanding and informing the design of professional development for pre-service teachers.