Greek Myths to Co-Build Teacher Identity: Perceptions of Students in the Master of Education Research

Antonio Giner-Gomis,Marcos Jesús Iglesias-Martinez,Perla Mayela Brenes-Maltez,Inés Lozano-Cabezas

doi:10.12973/ijem.8.1.179

Abstract

<p style="text-align:justify">The objective of this study was to promote the use of metaphorical stories based on classical Greek myths in academic teacher training. The aim is to favour processes of personal assemblage and the constitution of teacher identity. Based on 8 classical myths, 4 of them featuring a female character and another 4 a male character, the group of participants narrated positive as well as disappointing experiences they had lived through during their academic training. Moreover, they selected the myths, among those proposed, that provided the metaphors that best described their specific personal trajectories. Adopting a qualitative approach, we followed a narrative-biographical tradition and collected 37 stories. This narrative corpus was analysed using the AQUAD software. The results showed that classical Greek myths contain and provide a powerful and illuminating narrative scaffolding, helping students to adopt a different perspective in the narration of their own academic trajectories. The myths equally helped them to become more aware of the most genuine life and personal experiences that shaped their own teacher identity.</p>

Highlights

After having fruitfully explored how classical Greek myths contributed to the construction of teachers’ identities during their training (Giner et al, 2018), we re-map here this domain (Canales et al, 2019) using new mythical narratives
The results showed that classical Greek myths contain and provide a powerful and illuminating narrative scaffolding, helping students to adopt a different perspective in the narration of their own academic trajectories
The encouraging situations experienced during their studies were described by both the women and men enrolled in the Master's research degree with the myths of Ariadne, Pygmalion and Penelope

Summary

Introduction

After having fruitfully explored how classical Greek myths contributed to the construction of teachers’ identities during their training (Giner et al, 2018), we re-map here this domain (Canales et al, 2019) using new mythical narratives. We are convinced of the absolute contemporaneity of this heritage and that it helps us to become aware of another reality by making us question our perceptions – which are usually naturalised through a hegemonic positivist rationality (Hellinger, 2010). Such cultural knowledge allows us to put a name on unknown spaces which, like true places, are not yet on any map (Melville, 2001)

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