Practising Fiercely: Fulfilment through Stance, Supports and Stamina. A participatory narrative inquiry of specialist teachers’ practice in Aotearoa.

Abstract

Teachers’ lives are multi-faceted and their practice is influenced by personal and contextual enablers and barriers to their well-being and identity. Current initiatives, including the focus on teacher wellbeing, pose new tensions. This research is timely as it investigates an emerging group of professionals, specialist teachers in Aotearoa New Zealand. From their own perspectives, sought through participatory narrative inquiry, we come to better understand how teachers experience and position themselves within and against pressures posed by an increasingly complex world. Research findings informed the development of a framework for teacher fulfilment through fierce practice comprised of stance, supports and stamina. This framework has utility at the individual level, supporting the fulfilment of individual teachers. At the systems level, the framework may be of interest to tertiary teachers and institutions wishing to help teachers to develop and sustain meaningful and satisfying lives.