The purpose of this paper was to provide a theoretical overview of recent work on the formation of professional identity during initial education and to contribute to a deeper understanding of this process from the perspective of student teachers. Reflective essays were used with a sample (N=23) of final year undergraduate early childhood and preschool education students during the course, focusing on their perceptions of the preschool profession and motivations for choosing it. The content and methodological characteristics of the studies included in the final analysis (N=9) were considered using the method of reviewing the research in the databases Scopus, WoS and Hrčak in the period from 2018 to 2023. The results of the review of theoretical and empirical papers showed the importance of enabling students to critically analyze their own beliefs and reflect on the development of their professional identity during their initial education. Thematic analysis of the reflective essays revealed intrinsic, altruistic, and extrinsic motives for choosing the teaching profession in preschool, highlighting negative societal perceptions of the teaching profession and the importance of an inspirational person. A greater focus on the factors that influence the construction of student teachers' professional identities may help improve their beliefs about the preschool teaching profession, their future professional roles and responsibilities, and the development of their professional competencies. The results obtained can serve as a starting point for further research on the needs and modernization of initial teacher education for student teachers.