Metaphorically drawing the transition into teaching: What early career teachers reveal about identity, resilience and agency

Abstract

This article examines the transition experiences of four early career teachers throughout their first year of teaching. Using metaphorical drawings and narratives, this study investigated the relationship between identity, resilience and agency during this transition period. By drawing on legitimate peripheral participation as a theoretical lens to theorise teachers’ transition experiences, the findings reveal that identity, resilience and agency worked in tandem to enable each early career teacher to look beyond challenges, pressure and fluctuating confidence during this critical transition period. These findings shed new light on why some teachers successfully withstand pressure throughout their first year of teaching.