Teacher Identity Formation Research Articles

Understanding teacher ethico‐political identity formation from a Foucauldian perspective

AbstractIn recent years, we have seen an increased politicisation and objectification of what teachers should know, what teachers should do and who teachers should be while they are doing it. While evident across the continua of teacher education, such politicised constructions are particularly acute at initial teacher education. Given such attention to constructing what has been described as a ‘preferred’ teacher identity, this paper explores how prospective teachers construct themselves in ethico‐political terms (i.e., how prospective teachers construct the relationship that they have with themselves and how they account for themselves in that regard). Informed by a Foucauldian perspective and using a composite case that draws on interview data (photovoice and semi‐structured interviews) from a small sample (n = 4) of prospective Irish primary school teachers at various stages during their final semester of initial teacher education, this paper addresses ethico‐political identity in terms of substance, authority sources, self‐practices and telos. Findings illuminate prospective teacher ethico‐political identity as: (i) substance as the basis for nascent teacher practical knowing‐in‐action and pedagogical sensitivities; (ii) temporally organised authority sources; (iii) dynamic and interrelated self‐practices; and (iv) telos as a form of identity prolepsis that emphasises three major valuational endpoints. The paper concludes by contemplating the generativity of an ethico‐political conceptualisation of teacher identity (re)formation for teacher education purposes in terms of its conceptual, contextual, critical and reflective utility.

BARRIERS OF PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY FORMATION: THE JUSTIFICATION FOR INCREASED TEACHER ATTRITION RATE

This study delves into the barriers to forming teacher identity in Kazakhstan after a year of study and development. Early career teacher attrition is often seen as a problem related to personal or contextual factors. This research examined attrition as a process involving both individual and contextual elements. Based on semi-structured interviews with 38 school English teachers about their first professional career path, experiences, and expectations, the thematic analysis revealed 15 themes, which were then categorized into four main themes: higher salary expectations, status, lack of pre-teaching training, and bureaucracy. This article offers practical recommendations, including the development of programs for preserving cultural heritage and professional development, to contribute to the successful formation of teacher identity. Overall, this study discusses critical aspects of modern education in Kazakhstan, outlines the main conclusions, and explores prospects for improving the education system and supporting the development of professional identity among teachers, considering the peculiarities of national culture.

Centering Social Justice and Well-Being in FSL Teacher Identity Formation to Promote Long-Term Retention

Centering Social Justice and Well-Being in FSL Teacher Identity Formation to Promote Long-Term Retention

Applying the concept of ‘PE-for-sport-literacy’: exploring pre-service teacher identities with a new way of teaching sport

ABSTRACT We explored how a physical education teacher education (PETE) programme at an Australian university influenced physical education pre-service teacher (PEPST) sport teaching identities. Our methodology utilised Elias’s [2012a [1970, 1978]. What is sociology? Collected works (Vol. 5). University College Dublin Press] personal pronouns as a figurational model which shows how social group (‘we’) identity relates to outsiders (‘they’) as well as individual members (‘I’) within communities. We also drew upon the concepts of figuration [Elias, N. (2012b [1939]). On the process of civilisation, collected works (Vol. 3). University College Dublin Press], habitus [Elias, N. (2010 [1987]). The society of individuals, collected works (Vol. 10). University College Dublin Press] and established and outsider theory [Elias, N., & Scotson, J. L. (2008 [1965]). The established and the outsiders. Collected works (Vol. 4). University College Dublin Press]. By examining if and how the ‘I’ pronoun was used in a written assessment task, we sought to ascertain the extent PEPSTs might apply the concept of ‘PE-for-sport-literacy’ (PE4SL) in their future careers. Just over half the participants wrote ‘I’ statements about how they would enact sport teaching in convincing and believable ways, the remaining PEPSTs provided descriptive narratives, suggesting a limited engagement with PE4SL, using writing styles more akin to academic writing, with little or no use of the ‘I’ pronoun. Our findings are important because, there have been limited studies about the process of teacher identity formation in teacher education [Beauchamp, C., & Thomas, L. (2009). Understanding teacher identity: An overview of issues in the literature and implications for teacher education. Cambridge Journal of Education, 39(2), 175–189] and fewer studies about the construction of PEPST identity [Liu, J., & Keating, X. D. (2022). Development of the Pre-service Physical Education Teachers’ Teacher Identity Scale. European Physical Education Review, 28(1), 186–204] and PE teacher identity [Virta, J., Hökkä, P., Eteläpelto, A., & Rasku-Puttonen, H. (2019). Professional identity among student teachers of physical education: The role of physicality. European Journal of Teacher Education, 42(2), 192–210]. Our findings then, add to the finite stock of knowledge concerning PEPST teacher identity development, by drawing attention to the varied ways our participants engaged with PE4SL. This study reinforces previous research that highlighted that as teacher educators, the knowledge we teach does not automatically translate into beginning teacher practices [Brown, D. (2005). An economy of gendered practices? Learning to teach physical education from the perspective of Pierre Bourdieu's embodied sociology. Sport, Education and Society, 10(1), 3–23; Fernández-Balboa, J.-M. (2009). Bio-pedagogical self-reflection in PETE: Reawakening the ethical conscience and purpose in pedagogy and research. Sport, Education and Society, 14(2), 147–163].

Effect of identity as a mediator: The relationship between mathematics teacher cooperation and readiness in facing the era of industrial revolution

Background: The Industrial Revolution has significantly impacted education, making mathematics instructors crucial in preparing students for the demands of the industrial era.
 Purpose: This research seeks to explore the correlation between mathematics teacher cooperation and readiness to face the era of the Industrial Revolution, with a specific focus on the mediating effect of identity.
 Design/Methodology/Approach: This research utilized a quantitative research design and collected data through surveys administered to school math instructors. The surveys assess the level of cooperation among mathematics teachers, their readiness to adapt to the challenges of the Industrial Revolution era, and their individual identities as teachers. Statistical analyses, including correlation and mediation analyses, are employed to examine the relationships among the variables.
 Findings: Preliminary findings indicate a positive correlation between mathematics teacher cooperation and readiness to face the Industrial Revolution era. Moreover, the mediating effect of identity suggests that a strong sense of professional identity among mathematics teachers enhances their cooperation and subsequently contributes to their readiness to adapt to the changing educational landscape.
 Conclusion: This research highlights the importance of fostering a strong professional identity among mathematics teachers to foster cooperation and preparedness. It provides insights for policymakers, school administrators, and educators to develop strategies to promote collaboration and professional development in the Industrial Revolution era.
 Contribution to Literature: This study enhances understanding of the relationship between mathematics teacher cooperation, identity, and readiness during the Industrial Revolution era, highlighting the importance of teacher identity formation.

Discovering and developing the vocational teacher identity

PurposeThis study explores the role of previous occupational identity in the formation of the (new) teacher identity of vocational teachers. The focus is on how vocational teachers discover their teaching identity, how they describe the connection between their previous occupation and teacher identity and how they describe a competent member of the teaching community.Design/methodology/approachThe theoretical approach is inspired by Communities of Practice (CoP) theory. More specifically, the realignment between socially demanded competence in the profession and personal experience as well as identification with the teaching community are discussed. The research material comes from 14 interviews with vocational teachers in different disciplines.FindingsFindings indicate first that the process of professional identity (trans)formation was initiated by finding one's teaching self when the individuals became aware of their interest in teaching by discovering that they had already achieved some sort of teaching-related competence. Second, individuals had been connecting their professional identities – finding common competence between their previous occupation and the teaching role. Third, vocational teachers experienced legitimising their competence and their new identity with reference to what their new CoP instructed as important competence (regime of competence).Originality/valueWhile teachers' vocational competence is not scrutinised, their teaching competence needs to be constantly proved. This imbalance often leads to teachers returning to an aspect of their identity that is well established – their vocational competence. Looking back to their occupational competences constitutes a realignment backwards, when teachers attempt to serve their new professional goal by drawing on old competence.

Türkiye'deki Öğretmen Kimliği Üzerine Yapılan Araştırmaların Sistematik İncelemesi

This study aims to examine the studies on teacher identity in Türkiye as a systematic review. The research was carried out using descriptive model. In this review, firstly, inclusion and exclusion criteria were determined, then search terms and databases to be searched were decided. Studies obtained from HEC Thesis, HEC Academic, TANIC and ERIC databases were evaluated in terms of research method quality. PRISMA flowchart was used to clearly show the search strategy. The studies included in the study were recorded in Research Information Form developed by the researchers. Descriptive content analysis was used in the analysis of the data. As a result of the research, it is concluded that 104 studies on teacher identity are published between 2005 and 2022, 30 of which are master’s thesis, 18 are doctoral dissertations, and 56 are articles. It is concluded that most of the studies aimed to examine the formation, nature and development of teacher identity, qualitative research method, case study design and interview forms as data collection tools were used the most frequently. Also, the sample/research group of the studies mostly consist of teacher candidates. When the findings of the studies are examined, it is determined that the professional identity sub-theme of teacher candidates included identity development and perception of professional identity, and the professional identity sub-theme included the findings related to identity development and characteristics, identity perception and correlated factors.

Examining the Relevance of Ethnographic Practices in Researching Teacher Identity in Preservice Teacher Education

This paper advocates the relevance of ethnography as a methodology for researching preservice teacher education. The research underpinning this paper demonstrates the importance and relevance of the ethnographic imagination for examining the formation and development of preservice teacher identity, offering a means of capturing the lived experience of learning to teach from the perspective of those entering the profession. The experience of learning to teach on three graduate-level teacher education pathways in the South of England is explored using ethnographic methods. The yearlong immersion in three different research sites and subsequent thematic analysis of the generated data gives insight into the formation of the teacher identity, foregrounding the importance of place in the experiential journey of the preservice teacher. The comprehensive data generated from this study gives unique insight into how ethnographic practices can reveal the developmental process of teacher identity and has relevance for teacher educators and researchers internationally.

Bridging Cultural Gaps: A Study of Cultural Intelligence in the Formation of Teacher Identity in Hyderabad

This study scrutinizes the intricate challenges encountered by faculty members from diverse Indian states in engineering colleges in Hyderabad, with a specific focus on Cultural Intelligence (CQ) as perceived by teachers. While CQ is conventionally esteemed for fostering multicultural adaptability, the research reveals its underutilization and the ensuing challenges in teaching adaptability. Data, which is collected from 50 faculty members via focus group discussions, indicate that administrative involvement is pivotal but often lacking, thereby exacerbating the difficulties in leveraging CQ effectively. Moreover, the present study identifies the broader cultural ramifications of this underutilization beyond the academic setting. The paper underscores an urgent need for targeted interventions, advocating for administrative-backed cultural training programs aimed at harnessing faculty CQ to augment educational effectiveness. Also, the paper identifies five major factors that impact teaching adaptability in heterogeneous classrooms, thereby contributing a novel perspective to the existing literature on multicultural education and teaching efficacy. Keywords – Cultural Intelligence; Engineering Colleges; Faculty Challenges; Multicultural Education; Teaching Adaptability.

Who am I—Teacher or practitioner? Teacher‐practitioners’ experience of identity in higher education—A phenomenological view

AbstractPractitioners entering academic careers in higher education face many challenges in teacher identity formation. This article is based on ongoing research and aims to understand the phenomenon of experiencing teacher identity in teacher‐practitioners who have interrupted their academic careers in the field of healthcare and social sciences in Estonian higher education institutions. Empirical data was collected using semi‐structured interviews. Data analysis was based on a phenomenological approach and the content analysis method. The experience of the identity of the teacher‐practitioners is contradictory and can be understood as a subjective and collective phenomenon. The findings showed that teacher‐practitioners with a strong specialist identity are not stable in their academic careers. Their identity is characterised by fragility and is associated with decisions to continue or interrupt their academic careers. The study suggests that the efforts of teacher‐practitioners in academic settings need to be professionally supported by the provision of individual, collective and targeted institutional support. The article contributes to studies of professional identity from an interpretative phenomenological perspective.

The formation of language teacher identity: A narrative inquiry of an EFL teacher's ER implementation

AbstractThis narrative inquiry investigates an English as a Foreign Language teacher's storied experience of 30‐year extensive reading (ER) implementation, with the aim of exploring the formation of language teacher identity (LTI) of this individual teacher. Two narrative interviews were conducted, respectively focusing on the holistic story and detailed accounts of some critical incidents and significant others. Two researchers played different roles: one insider, conducting, transcribing, translating, and analysing interviews; one outsider, analysing the data with a relatively neutral perspective. Data analysis adopted an ecological approach and a three‐level framework (societal, interpersonal, and intrapersonal levels). Findings highlight the complex links between discursive features, personal experience, teacher emotions, and power differentials in shaping the dynamic and multi‐faceted nature of LTIs. Meanwhile, the considerable evolution of the teacher's ER implementation validates the importance of teacher training, especially opportunities for teachers to gain experiential knowledge which further contributes to teacher identity development.

Teacher Identity Formation: A Vernacular Discourse Analysis of Television Public Service Advertisement

Background: The influence of technology and media on teachers’ beliefs and self-concepts is substantial. The social identity theory explains how an individual’s perception of themselves as a group member influences their social identity. Purpose: This study aims to examine the analysis of vernacular discourse in public service announcements (PSA) from two perspectives: cultural syncretism and pastiche. Methods: The methodology utilized in this study is vernacular discourse analysis with a critical paradigm-based qualitative approach. The objects of this study were two PSA videos of the Ministry of Education (MOE) Singapore. Results: The vernacular discourse analysis reveals that cultural and social contexts influence teachers’ rhetoric, with sociocultural and linguistic conditions reinforcing educational hegemony in the PSA videos of Singapore. Conclusion: MOE’s PSA videos shape teachers’ social identity by employing persuasive strategies to promote teachers’ roles and self-concepts based on the belief that student and societal success begins with the teacher. Implications: Theoretically, this study implies that media can shape teachers’ social identities. The practical implications of this study are using PSA videos to align the role and self-concept of Indonesian teachers, demonstrating how the noble but less prestigious teaching profession shapes the next generation. Additionally, media can be utilized to enhance the quality of education in Indonesia.

“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.

Групповая рефлексия, направленная на позитивные изменения в формировании идентичности учителя английского языка как иностранного и их отражение в программе профессионального развития педагога

Collaborative reflection helps teachers make meaning of their professional selves. For this reason, the infusion of appreciative inquiry into collaborative reflection can strengthen the formation of teacher identity. This case study aimed to investigate how appreciative collaborative reflection catalyzed the configuration of EFL teachers' professional identities during a three-month offline teacher professional education program in Indonesia. Three EFL teachers attending the professional education program and belonging to the same group during the reflection activities took part in the current study. During the activities, the three participants showed an interpersonal bond within the group. Data in the form of narratives were obtained through a semi-structured focus group discussion with the participants. A thematic analysis was conducted to discover the data's emerging themes regarding the affordance of the reflection in accelerating teachers’ professional identity formation. The findings revealed that appreciative collaborative reflection catalyzed teachers' professional identity configuration through recollections of professional experiences, equal engagement and interconnectedness, and positivity. The data-led, personal, collaborative, and appreciative reflection fostered the cultivation of positive personal selves. It is necessary that identity-related reflections be incorporated into teacher professional development programs to help teachers cultivate and purify their professional calling.

인쇄매체에서 보여지는 교사의 표상

The research examines how Australian newspaper journalists represent the general impression and identity of teachers in the teacher related 6 Australian newspaper articles listed from 17 March, 2017 to 1 June, 2017. Linguistic discourse forms and defines the perception of reality at the same time, playing a crucial role in making social identity. The image of teachers and the instruction of teachers are created not only by the people actively participating in the formation of such a perception but by the social context they exist in as well. Therefore, the linguistic discourse used in the newspaper media directly and indirectly both affects the way the public perceives teacher identity. This paper focuses on examining the representation of teachers appearing in the 6 articles of the 3 Australian newspapers through the analysis of the education related articles of newspapers and looks into how the public perceives teachers in newspaper media discourse. In other words, the aim of the research is to ascertain the social identity of teachers which the media has constructed and what the representation does mean in the formation of social identity of teachers made in the result of interpretation of the newspaper media. Furthermore, the research attempts to discuss the impact of the formation of teacher identity on social awareness towards teachers and the instruction of teachers and employs a way such as textual analysis in the light of the nature of the research.

The Mediating Role of Teacher Efficacy and Job Satisfaction in the Relationship between Teacher Identity and Organizational Effectiveness

본 연구의 목적은 교사정체성이 학교조직효과성에 미치는 영향에 대한 교사효능감과 직무만족의 매개적 역할을 탐색하는 것이었다. 이를 위해 본 연구는 대전, 대구, 경북, 경남, 울산 지역의 초․중등학교 교사 532명을 대상으로 설문조사를 실시하였고, SPSS Process macro 버전 4.0(모델 4)을 통해 교사정체성과 학교조직효과성의 관계와 이들 관계에 대한 교사효능감과 직무만족의 매개효과 및 유의성 검증을 실시하였다. 연구결과, 교사정체성은 학교조직효과성에 대해 정적으로 영향을 미쳤고, 교사효능감과 직무만족은 두 변수 관계를 유의하게 매개하는 것으로 나타났다. 본 연구의 결과는 교사들이 교수학습이나 생활지도 등 전문적 수행 과정에서 분명한 정체성을 형성 유지함으로 높은 수준의 교직에 대한 성공 기대와 자신감을 가지고 직무를 수행할 때 교직에 대한 만족도가 향상되고 학교조직효과성도 제고될 수 있음을 시사한다. 본 연구는 교사정체성 관련 변수 간 구조적 관계에 대한 실증적 증거를 제공하였다는 이론적 기여와 함께 학교조직효과성 제고를 위해서는 교사효능감과 직무만족과 연계된 교사정체성 형성과 유지를 위한 교직 실행과 정책 마련이 필요하다는 실천적 기여를 했다는 점에서 그 의의가 있다.The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of teacher identity on school organizational effectiveness and whether teacher efficacy and job satisfaction play a mediating role in the relationship. To this end, this study conducted a survey including teacher identity, teacher efficacy, job satisfaction, and school organizational effectiveness targeting 532 elementary and secondary school teachers in Daejeon, Daegu, Gyeongbuk, Gyeongnam, and Ulsan. Through SPSS Process macro (model 4), the relationship between teacher identity and school organization effectiveness, mediating effect of teacher efficacy and job satisfaction on these relationships, and significance were verified. As a result of the study, teacher identity had a positive effect on school organizational effectiveness, and teacher efficacy and job satisfaction mediated the relationship between the two variables significantly. The results of this study show that if teachers have a clear identity when performing professional activities such as teaching and learning or guidance, teachers will perform their professional duties with high-level expectations of success and confidence in the teaching profession, which leads to satisfaction with the teaching profession and school organizational effectiveness. In this regard, the implication of this study is to provide empirical evidence on the structural relationship between related variables as well as the effect of teacher identity on related variables. In addition, this study is meaningful in that it explored the need for teaching practice strategies and programs for the formation and maintenance of teacher identity linked to teacher efficacy and job satisfaction in order to improve school organizational effectiveness.

“I Try Not to Be a ‘Neutral Teacher’”: Teacher Identity Formation of Non-Tenured Early-Career Academics in the Humanities

With internationally growing attention to the quality of higher education, a formal teaching qualification has become at many universities a requirement for non-tenured staff to be eligible for tenure. To obtain a qualification, participants in this case study reflect in a portfolio on their teacher identity by describing what they think is important and what guides the choices they make. Based on a thematic analysis of 47 portfolios by aspiring non-tenured early-career humanities scholars in The Netherlands, I will describe the recurring stories about beliefs, values, and commitments toward being a teacher in the humanities. The analysis will provide insight into how teacher identity is determined by the cultural rules of their disciplinary community to which they want to gain access as non-tenured academics.

Becoming international teachers of English: A sociomaterialist analysis of teacher identity (re) formation over time

This paper investigates the identity formation of two ‘non-native’ teachers of English over time. It shows how their identities became shaped through past teaching experiences and then postgraduate study in the UK, highlighting how these experiences were inter-linked. It also examines how postgraduate study opened-up new future identity possibilities and the implications of these. The study applies a narrative methodological framework to analyse teachers’ short stories gathered through interviews and focus groups. Using actor-network theory as a theoretical lens, the stories teachers shared were analysed to show how both social and material actors may be significant in teacher identity formation.

Development of drama into teacher identity: Exchanges and experiences of English teachers

The importance of professional identity development in learning to teach has been highlighted in recent years. The present study examined the process of how English teachers develop a drama teacher role identity upon receiving in-service training on educational drama. The influence of the training was observed by means of interviews, observations, and reflective journals. The analysis, guided by Kaplan and Garner's (2017) Dynamic Systems Model of Role Identity (DSMRI), produced important hints on the conditions for the formation of a drama teacher identity. The findings indicated that the training program broadened the teachers’ perceived action possibilities and that a teacher's identification with drama depended on their institutional context, alignment of action possibilities, professional belief system, and self-perception.

Multiple representations (MR) based instructional approach in support of physics identity and physics teachers' identity development: Design considerations

In this paper, we describe the intervention and the context of implementation of a multiple representations (MR)-based instructional approach as a classroom practice in an first-year thermodynamics course for preservice physics teachers at an Indonesian university. We argue that the implementation of this approach will contribute to the enhancement of students’ conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills. By enhancing those two aspects, we intend to contribute to their development of physics identity and physics teacher identity. We illustrate how this MR approach is applied in the classroom and describe how the relationship between the aspects of this approach interacts with physics identity and physics teacher identity. During lessons the teacher used real-life examples and students were encouraged to use different representations when they solved problems in small groups. The students realized that learning physics could involve many representations and might increase their interest to physics. However, we found some situations that did not match our expectations. For instance, most of the students were more interested when the problems were in the form of mathematical representation. In addition, we found that some students were inactive in the class. Therefore, it is necessary to think as educators about how to provide a positive learning experience to stimulate the development of student's identity. This work exemplifies how physics educators can stimulate physics and physics teacher identity formation in their physics courses as a preparation for future physics teachers.