Characterizing Developing Teacher-Researcher Identities

Abstract

Despite increasing scholarship on teacher identity, there remains a gap on characterizing developing teacher-researcher identities, which can provide a deeper understanding of the many facets of the teaching profession. To fill this gap, the study examined the experiences of a Filipino high school teacher, Levi, who was mainly selected for typifying local teacher-researchers. The study asked the following questions: (1) How did Levi’s language teacher-researcher identities develop? and (2) How can Levi’s language teacher-researcher identities be characterized throughout development? Following the narrative inquiry approach, questions eliciting experiences of being a teacher-researcher were used for conducting semi-structured online interviews. Interview data were transcribed and coded. Grounded on Gee’s theory on identity, the coded data were analyzed to determine how teacher-researcher identities developed, and experiences were unpacked to determine manifested teacher-researcher identities. Findings showed that Levi’s language teacher-researcher identities developed in a transformative manner marked by Beginning, Developmental, and Conflict stages. Levi’s novice teacher-researcher identities were flexible and adaptable in the Beginning stage, socially receptive in Developmental, and grappling for balance in Conflict. Levi’s language teacher-researcher identities were molded by a reflective process marked by professional learning, peer mentorship, and identity negotiation. Developing consciousness of one’s teacher-researcher identities by participating in continuous professional development and seeking opportunities for research collaboration and research engagement is recommended.