Professional Self-understanding Research Articles

Manifestations of professional identity work: an integrative review of research in professional identity formation

ABSTRACT Professional identity formation (PIF) is an integral part of educating professionals. A well-formed professional identity helps individuals to develop a meaningful professional self-understanding that facilitates their transition to and sustainability in professional work. Although professional identity and its formation are well theorized, it is largely unclear how the underpinning interpretive process of professional identity work leads to observable changes in thoughts, feelings and behaviours, and how these insights can be used in educational practice. To address this gap, we conducted an integrative review of 77 empirical articles on professional identity formation and inductively developed a four-fold typology of professional identity work, through which individuals reportedly make the shift from individual to professional. The theoretical contribution of this article is a more nuanced understanding of the practical manifestations of professional identity work. As a practical contribution, the typology may be used as a heuristic through which educators of professionals can support their students’ professional identity formation, particularly where this is halted or complicated by obstructions.

Enhancing the integration of chaplains within the healthcare team A qualitative analysis of a survey study among healthcare chaplains

BackgroundSpiritual well-being is considered an important component of health and is increasingly integrated at all levels of healthcare. Delivering good integrated spiritual care requires coordination between different colleagues in which...

Swabbing Dogs and Chauffeuring Pizza Boxes

This paper discusses the alignment work that Swedish crime scene technicians perform at the crime scene. It takes as its point of departure the understanding that the criminal justice system is a collaboration of very different epistemic cultures with at times different understandings of “the same” forensic evidence and its production. Nonetheless, the collaboration and the legal security of forensic evidence depends on knowledge in the form of forensic evidence(-to-be) moving easily and stably through it, despite epistemic differences. One way of attaining such stable movement, the article argues, is the crime scene technicians’ alignment work when they recover and package traces from the crime scene – for example body fluids, fingerprints, and fibers – for transport to the forensic science laboratory. Their crime scene alignment work, it shows, is not only a core part of the crime scene technicians’ contribution to the collaborative production of forensic evidence, it is also a source of professional pride, identity, and community for them. Thus, the crime scene technicians’ alignment work is not only important for the movement of knowledge through the Swedish criminal justice system, but is also an integral part of their professional self-understanding.

Inept and Indifferent? Self-Understanding of Early Career Teachers of Government Schools in the Indian State of Odisha

The Indian education system has remarkably improved in some respects in the last two decades. With the rapid expansion of educational facilities and increased enrolment of children in schools, the issue of access and participation has been addressed to a large extent. The problem of quality, however, still persists. Even after spending several years in school, many children are not acquiring basic literacy and numeracy. Reports indicate that children of the poor learn the least, and unsurprisingly, most of them study in government-run schools. While there are many factors of learning crisis, teachers are often held responsible for the deteriorating condition of government schools. A discourse of teacher criticism has emerged which portrays teachers as poorly trained, frequently absent, work-shy, hard-to-please, inefficient, ineffective, and occasionally corrupt. How does this discourse impact teachers’ self-understanding? This study analyses narrative data collected from seventeen early career teachers to understand their professional self-understanding. With the help of in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, the study concludes that the popular perceptions of being work-shy, inept, and incompetent are contested by the teachers. On the contrary, there is some evidence to suggest that negotiating a positive professional identity has become a struggle for the participating teachers in the quest for becoming better teachers. While they tend to assert their effectiveness and commitment, they also experience helplessness, vulnerability, and humiliation. This research is expected to pave ways for further explorations of whether the discourse of teacher criticism negatively impacts experienced teachers as well and how teachers’ struggle for positive professional identity influences children’s learning outcomes.

Professional self-understanding of teachers in different career stages: a phenomenological analysis

Teachers’ sense of identity plays a central role in understanding their actions as individuals inside and outside the classroom. Therefore, it is important to determine teachers’ understanding of who they are. Thus, teachers’ opinions about their professional self-understanding in the study were aimed to be analysed. Although teacher training practices are gaining importance rapidly, it is seen that studies on how teachers evaluate themselves are not sufficiently included in the literature. For this purpose, the research was carried out using the qualitative research method and phenomenology pattern to consider teachers’ opinions about their professional self-understanding holistically. The research study group consists of 44 teachers working in primary, secondary, and high schools in the Pendik district of Istanbul. Research data were obtained from in-depth interviews with teachers through semi-structured interview forms. The findings obtained were grouped under five themes: “Image, Respect, Job Motivation, Perception of Duty, and Future Views”, considering the relevant literature. The study revealed that professional self-understanding is closely affected by emotions and teachers’ social status. Considering the relationship between social status, acceptance, and individual motivation, it is thought that the negative judgments in society about the teaching profession make individuals reluctant to choose this profession. For this reason, it can be evaluated that studies should be carried out to restore the eroded reputation of the profession in society and that this profession should be provided with much more attractive opportunities economically.

Pre-service teachers’ future professional self-understanding: a reception study through teachers’ digital stories

ABSTRACT This study aims to investigate pre-service teachers’ reception of digital stories created by teachers in teacher education. Furthermore, it investigates how their professional self-understanding is developed based on the meanings they infer from the digital stories. This study is based on qualitative research, using the reception methodology. Accordingly, 15 pre-service teachers watched 27 digital stories. Data were collected through semi-structured focus group interviews and participants’ observation notes, which were analysed through content analysis. The results showed that the pre-service teachers developed professional self-understandings about self-image, self-esteem, task perception, and job motivation for their future careers. The reception process using digital stories helped them develop their future professional self-understanding by examining their own teaching experiences, teachers’ education, and teachers’ professional experiences as well as by making connections and gaining insights into the incidents of in the digital stories. Also, the reception process allowed reflection, the transfer of practical knowledge, and narrative learning development in pre-service teachers’ professional self-understanding. Thus, this reception process contributed to the professional development of the pre-service teachers.

Unpacking Teacher’s Self-understanding in Technology Use during COVID-19 Pandemic

The spread of Covid-19 virus has suddenly forced face-to-face learning into online learning. These sudden changes give impacts to professional teaching and learning practices of teacher, teacher not only gives the material but also use technology maximally during this pandemic. The role of teachers and their professional self-understanding has become increasingly complex. This current study led to know about the teacher’s self-understanding in the use of technology during the pandemic. Based on the purpose of the study, this study adopted a small-scale case study with one participant who is an EFL teacher from one of private senior high school in Surakarta, Indonesia. This case study used semi-structure interviews and classroom observations for collecting data techniques. To collect the data, researcher used teacher’s self-understanding theory from Kelchtermans (1993). These teacher’s self-understanding has five components, (1) self-image; (2) self-esteem; (3) task-perception; (4) job motivation; and (5) future perspective. After collecting the data, researcher applied an interactive model analysis. The results showed that (1) teacher’s self-understanding in the use of technology becomes more positive. This understanding brings teacher to become part of booster teaches conducted by The Ministry of Education and Culture, and (2) the inclusion of informal, self-initiated, and self-regulated procedures has supported the modifications of these components of teacher’s self-understanding when she used technology.

Resistance as commitment. A reflective case study of teacher professionalism in neoliberal times

ABSTRACT In this article, we explore the concept of teacher professionalism in the higher education context of neoliberal performativity driven educational policy. We do so by analysing the extended narrative of Ursula, an academic working at a large, research-intensive university in Australia. Through this analysis, we see the debilitating effects of neoliberalism on the professional actions and identity of one educator. But we also see how resistance can function as the manifestation of commitment within a conceptualization of enacted teacher professionalism, and how caring action as an activist stance of principled resistance can support educators to align institutionally defined professionalism with their own professional self-understanding.

РОЗВИТОК ПРОФЕСІЙНОГО САМОРОЗУМІННЯ В ПРОЦЕСІ ПІДГОТОВКИ МАЙБУТНІХ УЧИТЕЛІВ

The problem of the development of the future teachers’ professional self-understanding is investigated in the article; it analyzes the psychological aspects of the problem of self-understanding and it establishes that a person does not understand herself at once; this ability develops gradually throughout life, under the influence of numerous social phenomena. The article reviews the main approaches to studying and diagnostics the process of understanding which scientists conditionally define as „objective” and “subjective” ones. It is found out that the realization of the “objective” approach means a detailed study of the subject of understanding, its structural organization and internal regularities of the development. On the contrary, the “subjective” approach to the study of understanding is focused, first of all, on the study of mechanisms, the object of understanding is considered as a condition for the intellectual activity of the subject. The following features of self-understanding are singled out: depth, clarity and flexibility as well as some structural and dynamic characteristics of this personal formation. The article reveals the connection of professional pedagogical orientation and self-understanding of future teachers; it finds out that the concept of professional self-understanding is wider than the concept of pedagogical orientation. The concept of professional self-understanding includes the system of ideas about professional training, goals, tasks and results of professional self-improvement. The functions of self-understanding are singled out: inductive, cognitive and evaluative, regulatory. The indicators of professional self-understanding are determined. They are the motives which impel to self-understanding according to the criterion of its formation; the attitude to themselves and others; the presence of a realistic self-esteem according to the criterion of adequacy; the ability to be reflective and to make an internal dialogue, and others. The methods of the influence of self-understanding on the success of professional activity of future primary school teachers are determined.

Ethics, Knowledge and Ambivalence in Social Workers’ Professional Self-Understanding

Ethics, Knowledge and Ambivalence in Social Workers’ Professional Self-Understanding

Ethics, Knowledge and Ambivalence in Social Workers’ Professional Self-Understanding

Ethics and knowledge are seen as being the two core aspects of professional self-understanding. Nonetheless, many researchers in social work argue that the difficulties found in social workers’ professional identities may be linked to the conventional Western knowledge paradigm and its focus on the technical–rational application of scientific theory and knowledge in professional practice. This qualitative interview study examines professional self-understanding among eighteen Norwegian social workers employed at the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV). The study found an ambivalent self-understanding with regard to ethics and knowledge. Professional ethical problems are kept private, even though the social workers view ethics as being a fundamental aspect of their professional self-understanding. They keep their ethical dilemmas to themselves, and they also keep quiet about work that is successful. This paper suggests that the privatising of professional ethical dilemmas reflects the ambiguous position of ethics in the dominant understanding of knowledge, and the reduction of ethics that underlies this view. The paper also suggests that the ambivalent professional self-understanding among social workers will endure for as long as social work is dominated by the prevailing view on knowledge and professionalism.

Introducing a New Form of Socially Responsible Journalism

This study examines the professional self-understanding of the social responsibility of journalism. It is based on an action research project that invited Finnish journalists to workshops to develop the notion of “conciliatory journalism” together with researchers. The project’s aim was to find ways to reorient journalism during the times of social polarisation, and it drew from various forms of socially responsible journalism, conflict mediation and online moderation. This study discusses what happens when a new approach to journalism is introduced. It shows how the journalists in the project implemented conciliatory journalism as an approach that assesses the complex nature of conflicts and provides room for constructive disagreements. The journalists applied the idea as a tactic that could be integrated into their everyday practices, a strategy that supported improvements in media organisations and their brands, or as a launch pad for professional identity renewal. Hence, the concrete forms of conciliatory journalism also varied, from self-critical analyses and organisational development projects to examinations of sourcing, presentation and online discussion practices. New concepts attract attention and social responsibility continue to resonate, because they offer an avenue for journalists and media organisations to deal with their professional concerns and look for ways forward amid increased pressures.

Professional Self-Understandings of VET Teachers in Austria

The vocational education system in Austria has been subject of comprehensive reform measures in recent years. Curricular restructuring as well as implementing quality management systems in schools mark central cornerstones of these change processes, which aim to serve the development of quality of VET. Educational reforms tend to be accompanied by changing demands on teachers. This article uses a qualitative-explorative design to address the question of what these changing demands do to the teachers and their professional self-understanding. The study links normative-programmatic quality recommendations and prescriptions of educational policy documents with empirically investigated professional self-understandings of teachers. Finally, the findings are interpreted in terms of Foucault’s theory of power.

De impact van de schooldoorlichting op emoties en het professioneel zelfverstaan van leerkrachten

Abstract The impact of school inspection on the emotions and the professional self-understanding of teachersThe Flemish Inspectorate monitors and stimulates the quality of education on the basis of a system of school inspections. Research shows that these evaluations [assessments] have an important influence on the origin of emotions and can cause professional insecurity, anxiety and stress among teachers. Other studies report a change in the teachers’ professional self-understanding. This qualitative study investigates the impact of school inspections on the emotions and the professional self-understanding of secondary school teachers. Research data were collected through 16 semi-structured in-depth interviews in eight different schools. The emotional burden of the school inspection was confirmed by the teachers and various influences to the professional self-understanding of teachers has been clarified with the introduction of four typologies of reactions: ‘confident’, ‘action-oriented’, ‘shocked’ and ‘defeated’ teachers. At school level, the results show that schools with a high policymaking capacity fostered a positive perception of the audit. On the other hand, schools with low policymaking capacities struggled to moderate in the heavy emotional burden during a school inspection. These findings suggest that the three indicators of school policymaking capacities that are considered in this study (shared leadership, shared goal purpose and professional (supporting) relationships) are important to create a positive learning experience at a school inspection. The judgement of the Inspectorate has also a decisive impact on the teachers’ responses. The results show that a positive inspection judgement has a clear positive and affirmative influence on the professional self-understanding of teachers, while negative feedback puts their professional self-understanding to the test.

Who am I and where do I belong? The perception and evaluation of teacher leaders concerning teacher leadership practices and micropolitics in schools

The phenomenon of teachers taking on leadership tasks beyond their classroom duties has become widespread internationally. While presented as a catalyst for educational improvement, it blurs the traditional division between teaching and leading and therefore challenges the conventional professional relationships in schools as well as the professional self-understanding of teacher leaders. This article reports on an exploratory study of the perceptions of teacher leaders in Flemish primary and secondary schools. By conducting semi-structured interviews of 26 teacher leaders, we collected data concerning their tasks and the consequences for both their social–professional relations with teacher colleagues and school leaders and their professional self-understanding. From a micro-political perspective, the results demonstrate how teacher leadership introduces new structures of interactions in schools that makes teacher leaders find themselves continuously juggling between two different agendas of professional interests: obtaining recognition as a teacher leader by their colleagues as well as maintaining their social–professional relationships with their colleagues.

Increasing Professional Self-Understanding: Self-Study Research by Teachers with the Help of Biography, Core Reflection and Dialogue

There is growing interest in self-study methods being used by teachers and teacher educators to improve their own practice. The focus of these self-studies seems to be more on acting than on understanding, and here we focus on a group of teachers who explore their professional identities. Teachers participating in a Master’s degree study were asked to formulate critical moments in their development in which they felt their values were challenged and they were faced with a dilemma connected to these challenges. They then used different self-study research methods to dig deeper into their reports. This article focuses on exploring the normative dilemmas that teachers face in their daily practice and how their self-understanding is influenced by studying these dilemmas. We found that participating teachers faced two main dilemmas between external guidance and self-regulation, and between self-consciousness and relatedness. We also found that the effects of self-study research are connected to a deeper understanding of how things work and that finding core values such as trust, connectedness, and creating space can generate a breakthrough in the two main dilemmas.

DIGGING IT: ON UNDERSTANDING THEOLOGY AS BRICKLAYING

AbstractThe connections Stanley Hauerwas draws between his theological work and the craft of bricklaying, which he learned from his father, invites comparison with Seamus Heaney's depiction of poetry as digging. Both men understand their task of writing as hard and precise labour that pays close attention to given materials and that honours the complexities of the past. I consider how the characterisation of theology as bricklaying‐like work, integral to Hauerwas’ professional and personal self‐understanding, may shape his theological approaches and priorities, and ask how this might contrast with other possible approaches formed from other historical contexts.

Catholic Women’s College Students’ Constructions of Identity: Influence of Faculty and Staff on Students’ Personal and Professional Self-Understanding

This article investigates the influence of faculty and staff on women student’s constructions of their personal and professional identities. Situated in two Catholic women’s colleges, this qualitative study analyzes the ways in which in-class and out-of-class interactions among students, faculty, and staff helped students envision their future intentions. Students described ways in which college personnel served as career role models, modeled a work/family balance, and advised them as they planned for their futures. This study’s implications for the empowerment of women at both Catholic women’s colleges and nonreligiously affiliated coeducational institutions relate to the benefits of college personnel who model a personal and professional life balance, the need to consider both service and leadership in learning experiences, and the ways in which Catholic women’s institutions articulate their missions to students.

THE JOURNALISTIC GUT FEELING

What goes on in editorial conferences and how do news journalists decide what is newsworthy? The journalistic “gut feeling” is an important part of the professional self-understanding of journalists and editors expressing how news judgements seem self-evident and self-explaining to the practitioners. This article presents an analysis of everyday news work drawing on the theoretical framework of Pierre Bourdieu and using ethnographic material from observations of editorial practices in a Danish television newsroom as a case study. The analytical concepts “journalistic doxa”, “news habitus” and “editorial capital” are put to empirical work on close-up observations of journalistic practices in editorial conferences and two types of news values are identified as part of the journalistic “gut feeling”: the explicit orthodox/heterodox news values which are part of the sphere of journalistic judgement, and the implicit, silent doxic news values which are part of the sphere of journalistic doxa. An important task for future studies of journalistic practice is to investigate the seemingly self-evident orthodox news values as well as making visible the doxic news values imbedded in journalistic practice.

Teachers’ emotions in the reconstruction of professional self-understanding

This research study explores teachers’ specific emotions and the reconstruction of teachers’ professional self-understanding during a comprehensive school reform initiative. Through interviews and archival material, this study seeks to examine teachers’ specific emotions during critical incidents that occurred during the period of reform and to explore the reconstruction of their professional self-understanding. The findings illustrate that the teachers experienced fear and intimidation when their professional self-understandings were challenged. However, with the support of a literacy coach and university faculty they reconstructed these self-understandings, leading to improvements in student achievement and their own instructional practices. These positive changes led to emotions of pride and excitement. The study provides recommendations for state and local school administrators and highlights implications for future research.