Identity Development Research Articles

Enacting teacher emotion, agency, and professional identity: A netnography of a novice Chinese language teacher’s crisis teaching

This netnography explores how teacher agency, emotion regulation, and professional identity were enacted by a novice Chinese language teacher in response to emergency remote teaching (ERT) in Australia amid the global pandemic. Ecologically sound, netnography creates uncoerced spaces to allow participants to have their voices heard, thus enabling researchers to discover nuanced patterns linked to the social-emotional state and wellbeing of the community members, regarding fears, tensions, and resilience triggered by ERT. Multiple data sources were triangulated from the teacher’s reflection journal, digital teaching artifacts, debriefing sessions, interviews, and online questionnaire responses. Thematic analysis reveals teacher identity was re-envisioned through crisis teaching pedagogy and the regulation of negative emotions to facilitate agency, which reciprocally bolstered teacher identity. The findings also indicate teacher identity development is challenged and shaped by negotiating a new role in remote teaching, thus impacting pre-ERT identity. Hence, the emotion regulation trajectory of ERT can stimulate and encourage technology-enhanced professional learning as teacher agency and resilience reinforce a new identity reimagined as a capable online teacher. By situating novice teacher agency, emotion regulation, and emerging identity in crisis teaching, this netnographic research conceptualises how ERT presents not only challenges for novice teachers’ identity development and emotion, but also the sustainability and empowerment of online teaching and professional growth of impacted teachers of Asian languages.

Exploring Features That Play a Role in Adolescents’ Science Identity Development

AbstractMany studies done in the last three decades show that, beginning with adolescence and sometimes even earlier, many adolescents undergo a process of distancing themselves from science as they age. This longitudinal study attempts to deepen our knowledge and understanding of factors that play a role in early adolescents’ science identity development. For 3 years, we followed nine early adolescents at school, at home, and at their after-school activities, interviewing them 162 times. A thematic analysis of the interviews led to the identification of 32 themes. When comparing these themes across different participants, we identified three motifs that distinguished between the participants. Our findings suggest that (A) having a clear area of interest, not necessarily in science, positively affected the participants’ self-efficacy in science and self-assessment of their ability in science studies; (B) being or not being the eldest child in a family with multiple siblings played a role in the participants’ identity development in relation to science; and (C) the participants who were wholly dependent on their grades as an indication of their ability in science rejected the possibility of a future in science and studied science out of compliance rather than out of any internal motive. The implications of our findings are discussed and offer insights into ways that may nurture the positive science identity development of early adolescents.

Perceived Self-acceptance, Gender Identity, and Body Positivity among Transgender Women

The objective of this study was to understand the lived experience of transgender women by exploring their journey of self-acceptance, development of gender identity, and perceptions of body positivity. This research followed a qualitative approach, and the data was obtained by conducting in-depth semi-structured interviews with 10 participants who identified as transgender women. The interviews were transcribed and the data was analyzed using Thematic Analysis. The themes that were identified were grouped into three categories that were Self-Acceptance, Gender Identity, and Body Positivity. The themes under Self-Acceptance were Influences on Self-Acceptance, Significant Conflicts, Challenges Encountered, Coping Strategies, and Embracing Acceptance. The themes identified under the Gender Identity were Development of Gender Identity, Self-Efficacy, and Medical Aspects. The themes identified under Body Positivity were Physical Dysphoria, Influence of the Male Gaze, Existential Angst, and Validation. These themes explain the lived experience of the participants as transgender women on their journey of self-acceptance, the development of their gender identity, and their perceptions and sense of body positivity.

Youth political participation and digital movement in Indonesia: the case of #ReformasiDikorupsi and #TolakOmnibusLaw

The younger generations have always been at the forefront of and contributed significantly to social movements that are critical of state policies or respond to socio-political situations. This is also what happened in large movements involving young people in Indonesia, conventionally in the form of demonstrations and digital movements. This study seeks to explore the relationship between youth political participation, digital media, and the development of youth political identity by analyzing young people’s engagement in some of the most significant political protests in Indonesia during the mass protests of #ReformasiDikorupsi, a movement opposing the amendments of several important bills, and #TolakOmnibusLaw, a movement opposing the establishment of a new single bill related to labor and investment, between 2019 and 2020. By analyzing quantitative data through data mining from Twitter from October 2019 to November 2020 with the social network analysis method, this study discusses online youth participation in social movements and the way they shape their political identity. Our research found that young people play an active and central role in building online and offline movements. In particular, the online movement contributes to the growth of the offline protest movement, and vice versa, because of concerns about the practice of illiberal democracy.

Supplemental Material for Development and Validation of the Gender Identity and Expression Microaggressions in Therapy Scale (GIEMTS)

Supplemental Material for Development and Validation of the Gender Identity and Expression Microaggressions in Therapy Scale (GIEMTS)

Reforming Inspection of Childcare Provision: Lessons from Israel

AbstractThis study explores the impact of transitioning from structural quality to process quality in the regulation of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) for children aged birth to 3 years on the professional identity of inspectors. The research centers on a pilot program led by the Day Care Division at the Ministry of Welfare in Israel, which aimed to reform the inspection of day care facilities in the country. The methodology involves conducting 24 interviews with day care inspectors who participated in the pilot program, tracing their evolving understanding of their professional identity and their adaptation to the new regulatory model. The study's findings reveal that inspectors' professional identity comprises five key aspects: source of authority, inspection methods, superintendent's skill set, role perception, and their perception of the regulated entities. Inspectors are compelled to redefine their professional identity in response to changes in the regulatory model. In conclusion, this research underscores the intricate nature of inspectors' roles during periods of regulatory transformation. Shifting toward a process-oriented ECEC regulation necessitates the development of a new professional identity for inspectors. This shift presents them with heightened ethical dilemmas and exposes them to the risk of regulatory capture.

Medical teachers’ identity learning during major curriculum renewal: A landscapes of practice perspective

Purpose To explore how medical teachers navigate their professional identities when required to implement critical pedagogy during an undergraduate curriculum renewal initiative. Methods A qualitative exploratory study was conducted, using focus groups and individual interviews with twenty-six purposively selected undergraduate medical teachers at a South African university. Data were transcribed, coded, and thematically analysed. Concepts of Landscapes of Practice Theory and Teacher Identity Learning provided an interpretive framework. Results Findings show that medical teachers’ perceived capacity to implement critical pedagogy was influenced by identities that were constructed within the boundaries of a traditional biomedical curriculum. Three themes were identified, highlighting the inherent liminality of traversing a changing educational landscape: engaging in new practices: moving into the boundary space; attempting alignment: navigating identity in the boundary space; imagining the future: embracing identity in the boundary space. Conclusion Globally directed curriculum renewal imperatives may challenge the established pedagogical practices and professional identities of medical teachers. There is a need for institutional spaces that foster collaboration, dialogue, and reflection with a view to supporting the ongoing identity learning and development of knowledgeability of medical teachers responsible for curriculum transformation.

The ethics of care and the professional identity of teachers: implications for professionalization processes

ABSTRACT This work reviews the approach of the ethics of care in education and analyzes how the foundations of this ethicality contribute to the dialogical construction of teachers’ professional identity (attribution, projection, development and transformation). Professional identity is questioned when care is considered an epistemological and ethical approach to educational relationships, thereby encouraging reflection on the interactive components of identity (projection, disposition, worldview and action plans) and on the meaning of professional competence. This reflection produces transversal implications for teacher professionalization processes, which in turn results in the identification of training devices such as narratives, conversations and reflective and operational practices that help to turn the identity and the moral work of teaching into the central topic.

The importance of creating the right conditions for group intervision sessions among medical residents– a qualitative study

BackgroundThe burnout rates among residents urge for adequate interventions to improve resilience and prevent burnout. Peer reflection, also called group intervision sessions, is a potentially successful intervention to increase the resilience of young doctors. We aimed to gain insight into the perceived added value of intervision sessions and the prerequisite conditions to achieve this, according to residents and intervisors. Our insights might be of help to those who think of implementing intervision sessions in their institution.MethodsAn explorative, qualitative study was performed using focus groups and semi-structured interviews with both residents (n = 8) and intervisors (n = 6) who participated in intervision sessions in a university medical center in the Netherlands. The topic list included the perceived added value of intervision sessions and factors contributing to that. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded using NVivo. Thematic analysis was subsequently performed.ResultsAccording to residents and intervisors, intervision sessions contributed to personal and professional identity development; improving collegiality; and preventing burn-out. Whether these added values were experienced, depended on: (1) choices made during preparation (intervisor choice, organizational prerequisites, group composition, workload); (2) conditions of the intervision sessions (safety, depth, role of intervisor, group dynamics, pre-existent development); and (3) the hospital climate.ConclusionsIntervision sessions are perceived to be of added value to the identity development of medical residents and to prevent becoming burned out. This article gives insight in conditions necessary to reach the added value of intervision sessions. Optimizing preparation, meeting prerequisite conditions, and establishing a stimulating hospital climate are regarded as key to achieve this.

Exploring experiences that foster recognition in engineering across race and gender

AbstractBackgroundStudents' recognition beliefs have emerged as one of the most important components of engineering role identity development for early‐career undergraduate students. Recognition beliefs are students' perceptions of how meaningful others, such as peers, instructors, and family, see them as engineers. However, little work has investigated the experiences that facilitate recognition beliefs, particularly across the intersections of race, ethnicity, and gender. Investigation of these experiences provides ways to understand how recognition may be supported in engineering environments and how White and masculine norms in engineering can shape marginalized students' experiences.PurposeWe examined how specific experiences theorized to promote recognition are related to recognition beliefs for students at the intersections of race, ethnicity, and gender. Based on self‐reported demographics, we created 10 groups, including Asian, Black, Latino and Hispanic, Indigenous, and White cisgender men and Asian, Black, Latinè/x/a/o and Hispanic, Indigenous, and White ciswomen, trans, and non‐binary individuals. This article describes the patterns within each intersectional group rather than drawing comparisons across the groups, which can perpetuate raced and gendered stereotypes.MethodsThe data came from a survey distributed in Fall 2017 (n = 2316). Ten multiple regression models were used to understand the recognition experiences that influenced students' recognition beliefs by intersectional group.ResultsThere is no one‐size‐fits‐all approach to developing students' recognition beliefs. For example, family members referring to the student as an engineer are positively related to recognition beliefs for Asian, Black, Latino and Hispanic, and White cisgender men. Friends seeing Asian and White marginalized gender students as an engineer is predictive of recognition beliefs. Other recognition experiences, such as receiving compliments from an engineering instructor or peer about their engineering design and contributions to the team, do not influence the recognition beliefs of these early‐career engineering students.ConclusionThis article emphasizes the need to draw on multiple experiences to support the equitable development of early‐career engineers across race, ethnicity, and gender, and reveals patterns for recognition that may support future scholarship on effective classroom practices for recognition.

Teacher positioning within the figured world(s) of urban school science

AbstractAlthough research has highlighted the challenges of teaching in urban settings, particularly for science teachers, it has paid less attention to the development of science teaching identities in urban settings. This paper situates science teaching identity within societal discourses of science, education, and teaching to explore the ways in which macro‐level discourses influence the positions available to science teachers in urban schools. Using questionnaire data from 64 teachers, discourse analysis is used to demonstrate how participants reinscribe or disrupt prominent macro‐level discourses, including the elitism of science, accountability, and deficit views of urban areas, and the resulting positions that are created by this negotiation process. The findings include possible positions relative to science, education, and teaching as well as a consideration of differences between elementary and secondary teachers and between beginning and experienced teachers. Although many participants successfully disrupted damaging discourses of science as elite and disconnected, as well as discourses of accountability and the role of standardized testing, they were not able to disrupt deficit discourses that resulted in positioning themselves as outside of their students' worlds, often as saviors. The findings demonstrated the strong influence of deficit discourses on teachers' descriptions of their experiences as science teachers and the need to support teachers in understanding the historical and cultural contexts of urban education to identify and disrupt deficit discourses and create teacher positions based on asset and justice‐based views of students, schools, and communities.

Singapore nurses’ perception of professional identity

Introduction: Nurses’ professional identity is important for their career orientation and clinical practice. This study explored Singaporean nurses’ perceptions of professional identity. The results provide an understanding of how guided learning and reflection could help nurses in their professional identity formation and development. Methods: Using an exploratory descriptive qualitative research study and purposive sampling by researchers teaching in the programme, 64 Registered Nurses with a diploma qualification pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree with Honours in Nursing programme in Singapore were invited to participate. They responded to open ended survey questions online, which were analysed using a thematic analysis. Ethical approval was obtained. Results: All 64 first year students were invited to participate at the start of the module and upon the completion. The response rates were 94% and 81% respectively. Two overarching themes – “nurses as professionals with knowledge and moral character” and “the construction of professional identity” - emerged from the data. Conclusion: The nurses perceived their professional nursing identity as a construct comprised of knowledge and moral characteristics, which is consistent with international literature. A professional nursing identity, relationships with other healthcare professionals, patients and confidence in practice were all interrelated. Guided reflection and discussion on clinical experiences and social interactions helped students become aware of their professional identity and responsibilities. Such purposive educational effort needs to be started early and supported through the students’ educational journey into clinical practice. Keywords: Professional Identity of Nursing, Singapore Nurses, Image of Nursing, Social Perception of Nursing in Singapore, Nurse Education

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Among Donor-Conceived Offspring in the U.S. National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study from Adolescence to Adulthood

Abstract Introduction Concerns about parents with minoritized sexual identities often focus on the belief that their children will be confused about their gender and report a non-heterosexual orientation compared to children reared by heterosexual parents. Yet, few longitudinal studies exist. Methods Gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, and sexual experiences were examined in 75 U.S. donor-conceived offspring (39 assigned females at birth (AFAB) and 36 assigned males at birth (AMAB)) of lesbian parents, when the offspring had reached adulthood (ages 30–33). Additionally, 72 of these offspring (38 AFAB and 34 AMAB) had also completed surveys in adolescence (age 17, data collected 2004–2009) and emerging adulthood (age 25, data collected 2012–2017), which enabled us to examine the developmental pathways of their sexuality. Results All AMAB offspring and 94.7% of AFAB offspring who identified as cisgender during adolescence continued to do so during emerging adulthood and adulthood. Over time, sexual orientation was more fluid than gender identity, and AFAB offspring were more fluid than AMAB offspring. Specifically, considering those who reported the same (heterosexual/straight; lesbian, gay/homosexual; or bisexual+) sexual orientation from adolescence through emerging adulthood to adulthood, 63.9% were AFAB and 82.4% were AMAB. More than half of AFAB offspring and 80.6% of AMAB offspring identified as heterosexual in adulthood, and the vast majority had had sex with a non-transgender man (86.5%) and a non-transgender woman (93.6%), respectively, in the last 5 years. Conclusions This is the only study that has followed the biological offspring of lesbian parents from birth to adulthood, prospectively and longitudinally. The results indicate that offspring of lesbian parents are less likely to identify as transgender than the general public, but more likely to identify as LGB or queer. Policy Implications As gender and sexual identity development significantly impacts well-being, creating supportive environments for offspring of lesbian parents and increasing public awareness of the connections among developmental milestones, health, and thriving are vital.

Identity Development in Multicultural Context: Multidimensional Self Exploration Approaches Employed by Modern Orthodox Women

The aim of this study is to examine identity development of Modern Orthodox women as they pursue their studies within a multicultural and multi-faith environment. Content analysis was used to analyze the final papers of undergraduate religious female students in Israel (N=47) who participated in a semester-long dialogue course for Jewish students. The findings revealed three salient themes, suggesting that women's self-exploration developed noticeably within a rich multicultural context: (a) participants engaged in self-reflection by drawing comparisons between themselves and Arab students, leading to an exploration of their religious beliefs and group affiliations; (b) participants embraced their individuality within a multicultural context while balancing their religious duties; and (c) participants critically examined the status of Orthodox women in society, particularly within the family context. These findings highlight the process of identity exploration among Modern Orthodox women, complicated by intersections of religion, gender, and culture. In doing so, this study contributes to the understanding of identity development in multicultural societies.

Mission Rivalries, Conflicts, and the Construction of Protestant Christian Identities in Colonial Malawi

This article delves into the historical background of mission work in colonial Malawi, specifically focusing on the crucial link between mission boundaries and the development of Christian and ethnic identities. The study examines the collaboration and conflicts that arose among missions due to overlapping spheres of influence and territories. It highlights the extent of cooperation between the Livingstonia Mission, Dutch Reformed Church Missions, and other missions operating under the Federated Board of Nyasaland Mission. In particular, the article will discuss the extent to which missionary boundaries affected the self-understanding of Christians and other ethnic groups and how they were expressed in the communities in which they lived. It is argued that Christian identity in colonial Malawi was a by-product of mission rivalries, which manifested in boundary disputes.

A preliminary analysis of passport to practice: investigating development of core competencies in undergraduate health promotion students.

Equipping tertiary health promotion students with skills and knowledge to contribute meaningfully to the health promotion workforce begins with enhancing their health promotion competence via well-designed curriculum. This includes a focus on work-integrated learning, global citizenship, professional identity and competency mapping in line with the International Union for Health Promotion and Education Core Competencies and Professional Standards for Health Promotion. In this paper we report baseline results for the Passport to Practice project, a mixed-methods prospective cohort study to track undergraduate health promotion student progress across their degree, to evaluate a new approach for assessing student achievement of the Competencies and Standards developed by the International Union for Health Promotion and Education. Baseline data were collected from first-year students via document analysis of student reflection papers (n = 40); and an online survey (n = 29) to measure self-reported health promotion competence, development of global citizenship and professional identity, and PebblePad usability. Findings suggest the Passport to Practice initiative positively contributed to professional identity and health promotion competence. Students appreciated work-integrated learning opportunities that enabled them to plan for future activities to address gaps in their competence; and students excelled in the social responsibility dimension of global citizenship but lagged in the political voice category of the global civic engagement dimension. Findings provide insights about strategies and concepts required to equip students with the skills and knowledge required for their role as health promotion practitioners to address complex public health challenges.

Exploring the psychological experience of novice nurses in stomatological hospitals in China: a phenomenological study

BackgroundAt the onset of their professional journey, novice nurses often undergo a multifaceted psychological experience as they transition from theoretical knowledge to clinical practice, potentially impacting their development of professional identity. However, limited research has been conducted on the psychological aspects pertaining to newly graduated nurses in stomatological hospitals in our country.MethodsThe phenomenological method and semi-structured interviews were used in this study, and the sample size of the interview was purposive sampling method. A semi-structured virtual interview was conducted with 21 new nurses in the department of stomatology. Colaizzi’s analysis method was used to analyse the interview data.ResultsBased on Kramer’s reality shock theoretical framework and analyzing interview data, this study extracted the psychological experiences of novice nurses during their first year of employment across four distinct stages. The four stages include: cheerful period, frustration period, adjustment period and competency period. Six themes and nine sub-themes were derived from the four period.ConclusionDue to the lack of professional knowledge, novice oral nurses will experience a series of complex positive and negative emotions at the beginning of their career. Through the research, the training of oral specialty theory, good psychological counseling and peer support can improve their participation in oral outpatient nursing. At the same time, the establishment of oral care quality assurance system and the improvement of oral care higher education in our country will become the focus of future research.

How is race perceived during adolescence? A meta-analysis of the own-race bias.

Adolescence is a critical developmental period that is marked by drastic changes in face recognition, which are reflected in patterns of bias (i.e., superior recognition for some individuals compared to others). Here, we evaluate how race is perceived during face recognition and whether adolescents exhibit an own-race bias (ORB). We conducted a Bayesian meta-analysis to estimate the summary effect size of the ORB across 16 unique studies (38 effect sizes) with 1,321 adolescent participants between the ages of ∼10-22 years of age. This meta-analytic approach allowed us to inform the analysis with prior findings from the adult literature and evaluate how well they fit the adolescent literature. We report a positive, small ORB (Hedges's g = 0.24) that was evident under increasing levels of uncertainty in the analysis. The magnitude of the ORB was not systematically impacted by participant age or race, which is inconsistent with predictions from perceptual expertise and social cognitive theories. Critically, our findings are limited in generalizability by the study samples, which largely include White adolescents in White-dominant countries. Future longitudinal studies that include racially diverse samples and measure social context, perceiver motivation, peer reorientation, social network composition, and ethnic-racial identity development are critical for understanding the presence, magnitude, and relative flexibility of the ORB in adolescence. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Cinsel Kimlik Gelişiminin Nörobiyolojik Yapıtaşları ve Çevresel Stresörlerin Epigenetik Etkileri

In this review, we explore the intricate development of sexual identity, drawing insights from genetic, endocrinological, neuroanatomical, and neurophysiological studies. Gender identity, encapsulating an individual's internal perception as male or female, undergoes a nuanced and gradual formation, commencing early in life and progressing through distinct stages. Gender nonconformity delineates behaviors that diverge from culturally prescribed norms, while gender dysphoria encompasses the emotional distress experienced by some individuals due to a mismatch between their gender identity and assigned sex at birth. The genesis of sexual identity involves multifaceted processes spanning numerous years. Human sex differentiation involves the suppression or inactivation of specific genes, a phenomenon illuminated by genetic investigations into gender dysphoria, which have shown comparable rates of genetic variations to the general population. Nevertheless, twin studies suggest an augmented likelihood of transsexuality among family members, hinting at potential environmental influences. Brain sexual differentiation occurs during mid-to-late pregnancy due to the impact of gonadal hormones. The mechanisms underpinning the loss of feminine brain characteristics and subsequent masculinization likely involve a combination of factors, indicating a complex interplay rather than a singular cause. Studies propose that human sexual behavior is not governed by a solitary gene but rather by a network of genes dispersed across the genome. Notably, disparities in brain structures, functionalities between genders, as well as variations in endocrine and serotonin-dopamine levels, are implicated in the etiology of gender dysphoria, contributing to the understanding of this complex phenomenon situated between genders.

How does assessment shape student identities? An integrative review

ABSTRACT Assessment of student learning is commonly understood as a seemingly objective measurement of learning outcomes. It is seen as fair that assessment targets students’ abilities – not their identities or personalities. This idea fails to acknowledge how assessment transforms its object, the students, often in unintended ways. While higher education research has largely emphasised the impact of assessment on student learning, the ontological question of how assessment shapes students has remained marginal. This is despite assessment being a part of the fabric of life in higher education: examinations, assignments, grades, rubrics, rankings, and metrics characterise the student experience. The present study addresses this knowledge gap by reviewing empirical studies on how assessment shapes student identities through a theory-driven integrative review of 32 articles (2007–2023). First, these studies are summarised to understand how they conceptualise ‘identities’, what kinds of assessment practices they depict, and what the reported influences on student identities are. Second, a conceptual synthesis provides a metatheory on how assessment transforms student identities in higher education. This theorisation suggests that assessment shapes students through the ontological mechanisms of (1) gatekeeping, (2) legitimisation, (3) concretisation, (4) socialisation and (5) individualisation. Moreover, the theorisation considers students’ own agency over their identity development. Overall, this study emphasises the crucial, hitherto overlooked role of assessment in shaping students’ professional and personal identities in higher education. This study proposes a research agenda to better understand student identity formation in and through assessment.