Professional Identity Development Research Articles

Challenges in teachers’ professional identity development under the National Teacher Training Programme: an exploratory study of seven major cities in Mainland China

ABSTRACT Professional identity development (PID) of school music teachers is critical to teacher community sustainability, the quality of school music practices, and the long-term well-being of the music education system. While in-service music teacher training strengthens the occupational aspects of teachers’ identity, the iterative PID process is both content-dependent and context-dependent. Using a framework based on the Surveys of Enacted Curriculum (SEC), this study explored school music teachers’ PID profiles in Mainland China after a 10-year implementation of the National Teacher Training Program (NTTP). Prominent characteristics of teachers’ PID were analysed regarding self-efficacy, belief, professional commitment, and task orientation, relating to self-report and observed classroom instructional practices. Statistical analysis showed high coverage of curriculum content in teachers’ daily instructional practices, while minor differences are evident among groups by region, grade band, and years of teaching. The impact of NTTP on PID and implications for in-service music teacher training are discussed.

Participation and co-production for learning and development of identities: wherever I go, I meet myself.

Contemporary society is characterised by constant change with an ever-increasing feature of interconnection, having clear implications for healthcare professional learning and role identity. It is proposed that active participation and coproduction for learning can provide options to understand contemporary challenges and opportunities in the development of personal and professional identity. This research aimed to explore the value of learning and development of identity through participation in co-produced practical workshop activity involving service users and students across a Year 1 (level 4) undergraduate BSc(Hons) Physiotherapy module. Co-production was also reflected within the research project design and operationalisation. Following delivery of the workshops, data were collected and analysed from a series of individual semi-structured interviews (n = 11) and a focus group. Six emergent themes were identified. A central theme of identity and self-worth was deconstructed within five interdependent sub-themes; real and safe, person-centred, backstage learning, good to talk and staging of curriculum. A process of open dialogue within co-produced workshop design and delivery would appear to enhance learning and a contextual appreciation of a broader 'whole' for all participants. Future research is aimed at building on this project, to explore co-produced learning opportunities across levels and settings that provide further insight into personal and professional identity development.

상담사 전문직 정체성 형성을 위한 교육방안 제안

Objectives The purpose of this study is to propose educational approaches for the development of professional identity in counseling based on reflective practice. Specifically, the research questions are: First, how does the development process of professional identity occur in counseling? Second, what are the reflective practice-based educational approaches to formulating professional identity in counseling? Methods The purposes of this study analyzed previous research on professional identity to identify its components, and extracted commonalities through studies on developmental experiences. The developmental process of professional identity in counseling was diagrammed, and educational approaches were proposed based on reflective practice. Results First, professional identity is formed by integrating understanding and motivation towards the profession, practical experience and training, difficulties in adapting to the field, and personal and professional experiences. Second, to overcome the difficulties experienced in the development process of professional identity, it has been confirmed that individuals exhibit personal reflective abilities and make efforts such as peer interaction and supervision. Third, as an educational approach to forming professional identity, it is proposed to explicitly state professional identity and reflective learning within the teaching objectives and learning goals of counseling courses. Conclusions This study proposes practical and reflective educational approaches for the formation of professional identity in counseling, in order to reassess the role of counselors and strengthen their abilities as experts responsible for the mental health of a society. Through this, it is expected to provide implications for clarifying and restructuring educational objectives and learning goals that solidify the identity of counselors.

“Moving in more closely”: Using Q methodology to explore preservice teacher identity formation as a complex dynamic system

This article describes the development and implementation of a complex dynamic systems theory (CDST) study of Preservice Teacher (PST) professional identity development. I align conceptual conceptual frameworks of CDST to Q Methodological assumptions in order to explore the utility of Q in service of CDST aims. What started as an exploration of a small cohort (n=6) of PSTs evolved into an up-close exploration of one dimension of student-centered teacher: teacher activism. The study revealed that Q is an excellent tool for uncovering the complex dynamical structures–namely the tensions and harmonies– consistent with CDS assumptions about PST developmental processes. Factor analytical results suggested that multiple dimensions exist within a PST's emerging role identity. I conclude by suggesting that Q methodology has singular relevance for complexity researchers and identity researchers in teacher education, and social science researchers across higher education.

Developing a Framework for Professional Teacher Technical Identity Development through Mobile Learning

Teacher identity development is an ongoing and dynamic process whereby individuals negotiate external and internal expectations as they make sense of themselves and their work as educators. With the advancements in technology education and the many studies being done to understand and provide a simplified yet effective implementation process, the role of teacher identity development is of crucial importance. This is due to the close connection between identity and practice. Numerous studies have focused on the contributing factors that influence technology integration and implementation in teaching. Several models have been created to understand technology acceptance amongst teachers and learners, but the identity development that takes place within a teacher has not been explored. This article provides a framework that can be used to evaluate professional teacher technical identity development (PTTID) using three existing models related to technology integration. The Technological. Pedagogical, Content Knowledge (originally TPCK) now known as Technology, Pedagogy, and Content Knowledge (TPACK), Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), and Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition (SAMR) models were investigated to identify plausible links. An action research approach was applied to explore and identify common themes and trends that would lead to the development of a PTTID framework. This framework will provide a holistic approach to technology implementation and a logical understanding of the drivers for technology adoption amongst in-service teachers.

“I need to continually study and broaden my horizons”: a narrative inquiry of a novice teacher's induction experience in China

PurposeAlthough the importance of teacher induction is widely acknowledged, how teachers experience inductions, particularly those conducted in under-resourced areas, remains underexplored.Design/methodology/approachThis study narrates a novice teacher's induction experience in a Chinese high school, from the perspectives of professional capital and community, social realist theory, practice architecture and teacher agency. The participant, Ming, reflected on a broad array of formal and informal induction activities and participated during the induction period.FindingsThrough the three-dimensional narrative space, namely broadening, burrowing and storying and re-storying, five themes emerged from Ming's induction experience: (1) heightened awareness of the meaning of teaching, (2) interacting with various professional communities, (3) professional identity tension and development, (4) the discursive influence of various aspects of culture and (5) the influence on future professional development. Overall, this narrative study shows that teacher expertise and identity development play central roles in teacher induction, and context acts as an important mediating factor in teacher induction. These findings echo the importance of teachers' agency in inductions. The implications for facilitating novice teacher induction are also discussed.Originality/valueThis study contributes to a nuanced understanding of a novice teacher's induction experience in China from the perspectives of practice architectures, professional capital and professional community. The conclusion highlights the importance of professional capital and agency during Ming's induction period. This paper unpacks the complexity of teacher induction by revealing new ways of thinking about induction.

Self-Citation Rates Among Neurosurgery Journals and Authors: Unethical or Misunderstood?

The role of self-citation has not been discussed in the neurosurgery literature, although citations, citation indices, and impact of research may enhance funding opportunities, academic positions, fellowship opportunities, employment, and professional identity development. We sought to assess the magnitude and role of self-citation in academic neurosurgery. We performed a retrospective analysis of the citation and self-citation rates of articles published in 2001-2020 in 7 major neurosurgery journals: Acta Neurochirurgica, Journal of Neurosurgery, Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics, Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine, Neurosurgery, Neurosurgical Review, and World Neurosurgery. The total number of citations was highest for Journal of Neurosurgery and lowest for Neurosurgical Review. Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine had the highest average number of citations per article, followed closely by Journal of Neurosurgery. The self-citation rate increased for all journals over the time period 2001-2020. The highest number of self-citations per article during 2016-2020 was seen in Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics and World Neurosurgery. Neurosurgical Review had the lowest number of self-citations per article. Academic neurosurgeons must understand the ecosystem around self-citation. In our study, we found overall low levels of self-citations in neurosurgery journals with a few outliers. We have, however, noticed an increasing trend in self-citation rates. Self-citation rates should be considered while evaluating the impact of an author and research productivity. Contrary to popular belief, self-citation is not always unethical and must be understood within its circumstances.

Healthcare students’ perceptions of professional identity and program support

ABSTRACT To assess the self-reported professional identity of healthcare majors at a large public university, and to understand the degree to which the students perceive their healthcare programs support the development of this identity. An online, modified version of the Professional Identity Five-Factor Scale (Tan, Van der Molen, and Schmidt [2017]. ‘A Measure of Professional Identity Development for Professional Education.’ Studies in Higher Education (Dorchester-on-Thames) 42 (8): 1504–19) was completed by 588 respondents with majors in dietetics, nursing, social work, and speech-language pathology. The 551 respondents who completed all survey items were included in the statistical analysis. Self-reported measures of students’ professional identity during preparation for practice were captured along with perceptions of program support. Findings indicated: (1) professional identity and perceptions of program support increase with age; (2) first-generation college students are more likely to have a professional role model and feel positive about program support for having a role model and in developing professional self-efficacy; (3) monolingual English-speakers had a higher professional identity and more positive perception about program support than multilingual students; (4) White students showed a higher sense of professional identify than non-White groups; and (5) there was no significant difference in professional identify or program support between genders as well as between four sexual orientation identities. Healthcare training programs benefit from supporting professional identity among pre-professionals to better prepare the workforce of tomorrow. Non-White, multilingual, and first-generation college students would especially benefit from professional role models and targeted programming to increase their sense of professional identity. Such efforts may support their persistence in healthcare fields where they are often underrepresented.

Student teachers’ perceptions of mentoring as an influencer of their professional teacher identity development

ABSTRACT This study investigated the role of the mentor lecturer in the development of the Professional Teacher Identity (PTI) of 838 fourth-year pre-service teachers while doing Work Integrated Learning at a South African University. The students reflected in group workshops on the role of the mentoring they received in their PTI development. In this qualitative, descriptive case study, a document analysis was conducted on transcriptions of the posters that the groups created. The results showed that the mentor lecturers ranked sixth out of nine as influencers of the students’ PTI development. The students felt misunderstood and unsupported. There are three possible interpretations of this finding: the role of the mentor lecturer is an unnecessary and unwanted feature of the teacher training programme, the mentor lecturer is not meeting the needs of the student, or the millennial generation into which this sample fits is not open to critical self-reflection and critique.

Black Women in White Institutional Spaces: Clinical Implications for Supporting Professional Identity Development

Black women share unique experiences as they traverse gendered racism in White institutional spaces. While there is abundant research outlining Black identity development and the relationship between Black identity development and mental health and wellness, the literature is void of a conceptual framework that details ways professional counselors can support Black women’s professional identity development experiences. A conceptual framework of Black women’s gendered racial identity development is adapted to center the professional identity of Black women in White institutional spaces. A case study illustration and clinical implications for working with Black women clients are presented along with recommendations for reducing social inequity and improving wellness for Black women.

Developing early career teachers’ professional digital competence: a systematic literature review

ABSTRACT Early-career teachers face numerous challenges when using digital technologies in their educational practices. This systematic literature review explores how early-career teachers develop professional digital competence in practice and identifies some of the contributing factors for this development. Twenty-five publications were selected for inclusion in the review study after a careful search strategy and detailed screening conducted in three popular and relevant databases (Web of Science, Scopus and ERIC). The analysis of the reviewed publications revealed four overarching themes (actively developing professional digital competence, taking advantage of development opportunities, mentoring as a way of development, and professional digital competence interwoven with early-career teachers’ professional identity development). The analysis also revealed five factors (institutional culture, accessibility and availability of resources, governance and leadership, insufficient or lack of technical and pedagogical support and a heavy workload) contributing to early-career teachers’ professional digital competence development. The systematic review offers conclusions and research implications.

Professional Identity Construction in Becoming an NNEST

This study investigated the professional identity construction of NNESTs (Non-native English-speaking teachers) in Taiwan. The research paradigm was rooted in poststructuralism, which emphasizes subjectivity and exhibits the multiple, unstable, and non-linear properties of identity inquiry. Participants comprised two male and two female in-service English teachers from public and private senior high schools, whose teaching experience ranged from 10 to 15 years. The findings were as follows: in constructing their professional identity, NNESTs resorted to the integration of multiple selves, interpretation and reinterpretation, social negotiation, and agency operation. Moreover, various factors were found to influence the development of NNESTs’ professional identity. The internal factors were personal belief, prior experience, emotion and disposition, teaching efficacy, instrumental goal, non-native status, and motivation, whereas the external factors were student attitude, professional community, subject attributes, educational policies, and perceived expectation. The study not only illuminates NNESTs’ professional identity development but also contributes with theoretical and pedagogical implications.

‘Being a professional is not the same as acting professionally’—How digital technologies have empowered the creation and enactment of a new professional identity in law

AbstractThis paper shows that digital technologies have empowered new work practices and identity work in the setting of the legal profession in five different countries. Using qualitative data from 33 interviews with legal tech lawyers, supported by workplace and conference observations and photographs, we analyse how legal tech lawyers use social and material attributes to craft and enact a new identity. This identity is distinctly different from the established professional identity of lawyers, showing that legal tech lawyers see, and express, themselves as legal professionals in a broader sense, rather than identifying with traditional law. This paper explains how technology has functioned as an enabler for them to craft this new identity, much influenced by how, where, and when their work is done. The paper supports and extends a sociomaterial approach to understanding the implications of digital transformation and shows the potential of looking into the development of professional identities in this transformation.

Key aspects of teaching that affect perceived preparedness of medical students for transition to work: insights from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The self-perceived preparedness of medical students to transition into practising junior doctors has implications for patient safety, graduate well-being and development of professional identity. To examine the impact of changes to final-year education and placements and determine key elements that contribute to self-perceived preparedness for transition to work. An online survey among final-year medical students at one Australian medical school in 2020 (the cohort most affected by the coronarvirus disease 2019 [COVID-19] pandemic), exploring overall self-perceived preparedness and specific competencies, including questions in previous Australian Medical Council/Medical Board of Australia annual national surveys. Quantitative and qualitative content analyses were performed. Thirty-three percent of eligible participants completed the survey. There was a significant decline in overall self-perceived preparedness among participants (mean preparedness, 3.55 ± 0.88) compared with 2019 graduates from the same medical school (mean preparedness, 4.28 ± 0.64, P < 0.001) and the national average (mean preparedness, 3.81 ± 0.93, P = 0.04). There was a decline in self-perceived preparedness for all specific competencies, with complex competencies more greatly affected. Qualitative content analysis of free text responses identified limitations of an online compared with a face-to-face formal education program and specific aspects of placements, which contribute to perceived preparedness. The current study highlights key aspects of clinical placements and formal teaching programs that contribute to perceptions of preparedness for transition to clinical practice. Relevant experiential learning in the clinical setting, opportunities for deliberate practice of necessary skills (in simulation and the clinical setting) and reflective opportunities from formal teaching programs contribute to perceived preparedness and are important elements to be included in the final phase of any medical program.

Impact of Concurrent Media Exposure on Professional Identity: Cross-Sectional Study of 1087 Medical Students During Long COVID.

Long COVID has widened the health gap across society and highlighted the vulnerabilities and risks faced by health care systems. For instance, the global trend of medical workers resigning has become a prominent topic on social media. In response to this severe social problem in global public health within the digital society, it is urgent to investigate how the professional identity of medical students, who are digital natives and the future workforce of medical practitioners, is affected by the media environment. This study aims to examine how media exposure relates to medical students' perceptions of informational and emotional support, and how these perceptions further influence the development of their professional identity. Building on the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) framework, this study develops a theoretical model to illustrate how media exposure affects medical students' professional identity through the mediation of social support. Specifically, media exposure was assessed through online news media and social media exposure; social support was evaluated in terms of informational and emotional support; and professional identity was measured through medical students' sense of belonging and professional commitment. A survey was conducted at a medical school in China, yielding 1087 valid responses that were analyzed using SmartPLS 4.0. Consistent with our expectations, online news media exposure was positively associated with both informational support (β=.163; P<.001) and emotional support (β=.084; P=.007). Similarly, social media exposure showed positive associations with informational support (β=.122; P<.001) and emotional support (β=.235; P<.001). Thereafter, informational support (β=.228; P<.001) and emotional support (β=.344; P<.001) were positively associated with students' sense of belonging. Meanwhile, both informational support (β=.245; P<.001) and emotional support (β=.412; P<.001) positively impacted medical students' professional commitment. In addition, a mediation test was conducted. The results confirmed that informational support and emotional support partially mediated the effect of online news media, while fully mediating the effect of social media on medical students' sense of belonging and professional commitment. This study finds that exposure to online news media and social media can enhance medical students' sense of belonging and professional commitment through the formation of informational and emotional support. It expands the discussion on the role of media in providing social support and facilitating the development of medical students' professional identity. This is a valuable contribution to addressing complex public health crises through effective media governance in the network era.

Conflicting experiences and identity development of Arab novice social workers in the stage of entering social welfare offices in Israel

ABSTRACT The entry into professional life is a critical stage in the professional identity development of social workers; it is a particularly sensitive milestone for Arab novice social workers in Israel. Novice social workers must deal with the gap between the universal, predominantly individualistic social work approaches taught in Israeli educational establishments, and the collectivistic values, which they encounter in social work practice within the Arab community. In addition, they encounter the practical and culturally-sensitive knowledge of experienced social workers in welfare offices in Israel. This gap is intensified due to novice workers’ unresolved identity conflict as members of an indigenous minority, experienced during and since their academic socialization. Despite these critical issues, the challenge has rarely received scholarly attention. This article presents findings from a qualitative study that has examined the conflicting experiences of Arab novice social workers Vis-à-vis their professional identity development and incorporation into Israeli welfare bureaus. It is based on thirty in-depth retrospective interviews with Arab social workers with at least ten years of experience in the field of family and child welfare. Findings are analyzed from a critical multicultural perspective on social work. They show that integration of Arab novice social workers into the Israeli welfare offices is characterized by ongoing tensions and inner conflicts. Findings raise awareness of the need to implement critical multicultural programs in social work education which emphasize cultural sensitivity in order to support Arab novice social worker’s professional identity formation and incorporation into social work practice in the Israeli welfare bureaus.

Thanks for coming in, Ms. Wilson: A qualitative case study of simulated school counseling encounters

ABSTRACT This manuscript reports qualitative case study research with 10 school-counselors-in-training (SCITs). Using a single-case approach, researchers explored SCITs’ professional identity development through the implementation of an andragogical intervention using two simulated counseling encounters as part of a school counseling course. The results of this study produced an understanding of 10 SCITs’ evolving professional identity, counseling skills, and actions. Implications for school counselor training, counselor educators’ andragogy, research, and future simulations are discussed.

Examining Language Teacher Identity and Intersectionality Across Instructional Contexts Through the Experience ofPerezhivanie

AbstractThis article reports on an ethnographic case study of the professional identity development of Mark—an English language teacher who identified as cisgender, gay, Catholic, white, and not wealthy. Using the lenses of intersectionality (e.g., Crenshaw, 1989, 1991) andperezhivanie(Vygotsky, 1999)—“the emotional and visceral impact of lived experiences” (van de Veer &amp; Valsiner, 1994, p. 339)—we examined the multiplicity of identities (e.g., Norton, 2017) in Mark's experiences across contexts in China and the USA. Ethnographic data included interviews, fieldnotes, classroom audio‐recordings, and other supportive data. The findings demonstrate the central mediating role ofperezhivaniein allowing him to safely re‐envision identities in a given context based on prior experiences and knowledge. Mark's dynamic movement ofinandoutof his multiplicity of identities across contexts produced distinctperezhivanieexperiences that informed the development of his identities and pedagogies within and beyond those contexts. Methodologically, our approach was enhanced by the use of photo‐elicited interviewing. This methodology allowed Mark to tap into his multiple identities, including those that were assigned to him by the local context or by a broader policy context and those that he felt comfortable to take up. We conclude with implications for research and practice that examines language teacher identities and intersectionality throughperezhivanieexperiences in the past and explores the relationship among them and places them in conversation with present identities and experiences.

‘A role model is like a mosaic’: reimagining URiM students’ role models in medical school

BackgroundRole modelling is a widely acknowledged element of medical education and it is associated with a range of beneficial outcomes for medical students, such as contributing to professional identity development and a sense of belonging. However, for students who are racially and ethnically underrepresented in medicine (URiM), identification with clinical role models may not be self-evident, as they have no shared ethnic background as a basis for social comparison. This study aims to learn more about the role models of URiM students during medical school and about the added value of representative role models.MethodsIn this qualitative study we used a concept-guided approach to explore URiM alumni’s experiences with role models during medical school. We conducted semi-structured interviews with ten URiM alumni about their perception of role models, who their own role models were during medical school and why they considered these figures as role models. Sensitizing concepts guided the topic list, interview questions and finally served as deductive codes in the first round of coding.ResultsThe participants needed time to think about what a role model is and who their own role models are. Having role models was not self-evident as they had never thought about it before, and participants appeared hesitant and uncomfortable discussing representative role models. Eventually, all participants identified not one, but multiple people as their role model. These role models served different functions: role models from outside medical school, such as parents, motivated them to work hard. Clinical role models were fewer and functioned primarily as examples of professional behaviour. The participants experienced a lack of representation rather than a lack of role models.ConclusionsThis study presents us with three ways to reimagine role models in medical education. First, as culturally embedded: having a role model is not as self-evident as it appears in existing role model literature, which is largely based on research conducted in the U.S. Second, as cognitive constructs: the participants engaged in selective imitation, where they did not have one archetypical clinical role model, but rather approach role models as a mosaic of elements from different people. Third, role models carry not only a behavioural but also a symbolical value, the latter of which is particularly important for URiM students because it relies heavier on social comparison.

Thresholds of becoming: an exploration of threshold concepts as a means to support professional identity formation in competency-based curricula.

Inherent in every clinical preceptor's role is the ability to understand the learning needs of individual trainees, enabling them to meet their potential. Competency-based medical education frameworks have been developed to this end, but efforts to identify behaviours and activities that define competence are based on mapping knowledge, skills and ability, which can be difficult to integrate into a comprehensive picture of who the trainee is becoming. Professional identity formation, in contrast, prioritizes attention to who trainees are becoming, but provision of detailed guidance to preceptors on how to best support this form of development is challenging. The tension that results limits our ability to optimally support learners as strengths in competency development may mask professional identity development gaps and vice versa. To address this tension, this paper examines how the theory of threshold concepts - troublesome ideas that, once appreciated, fundamentally change how you understand and approach a particular activity - can shine light on professional identity formation and its relationship with developing competence. The recognition and identification of threshold concepts is offered as a means to improve our ability to identify, discuss and support behaviours and actions that impact the learner's capacity to act competently as they develop their identity at various stages of training.