Teacher Identity Research Articles

Impact of Occupational Burnout on the Professional Identity and Self-efficacy of Physical Education Teachers

Occupational burnout is a hot research topic in the field of education.This study targets physical education teachers, surveying 226 physical education teachers from 10 universities in Guangxi Province, China, to assess levels of occupational burnout, professional identity, and self-efficacy, drawing the following conclusions:(1) The overall level of occupational burnout among physical education teachers is "Evident", with dimension indicators ranked from highest to lowest as follows: Personal Accomplishment, Emotional Exhaustion, and Deindividualization. This indicates that occupational burnout is a significant and concerning issue among respondents, with emotional fatigue and moderate personal achievement being the main factors.(2) The analysis of the respondents' demographic characteristics indicates that there are significant differences in occupational burnout among physical education teachers of different professional titles.(3) The overall level of professional identity among physical education teachers is "Evident", with dimension indicators ranked from highest to lowest as follows: Norm identity, Continuous identity, and Emotional identity. This indicates that their professional roles significantly influence their self-perception and identity.(4) The analysis of the respondents' demographic characteristics indicates significant differences in professional identity among physical education teachers of different Ages, Educational backgrounds, Teaching experiences, Professional titles, and Marital statuses.(5) The overall level of self-efficacy among physical education teachers is "Evident", with dimension indicators ranked from highest to lowest as follows: Personal efficacy, Teaching efficacy. This indicates that respondents generally have a high level of self-efficacy, showing confidence in their personal and professional abilities.(6) The analysis of the respondents' demographic characteristics indicates significant differences in self-efficacy among physical education teachers of different Ages, Educational backgrounds, and Teaching experiences.(7) There is a significant positive correlation between the overall occupational burnout of physical education teachers and both personal efficacy and overall self-efficacy, indicating that higher levels of burnout are correlated with higher levels of self-efficacy in these dimensions.(8) There is a positive correlation between the overall occupational burnout of physical education teachers and all dimensions of professional identity, indicating that higher levels of burnout are associated with stronger professional identity in these areas.

Exploring Chinese kindergarten teachers’ identities and emotions: A sociocultural perspective

This study explores the identities and emotions of 12 Chinese kindergarten teachers from Shenzhen and Shanghai. Using the cultural–historical activity theory (CHAT) framework, we examined how daily tensions shape teachers' identities and emotions. An activity systems analysis identified five emotion-related identities that teachers frequently perceived. The study highlights tensions arising from misaligned objectives, power dynamics, and teacher identity. It suggests that teachers' emotions reflect their notions of self regarding how they believe they should be, act, and understand. The study has implications for teacher education and development, illustrating the complex interplay between teachers’ identities, emotions, and sociocultural contexts.

Exploring the cultural portrayal of Vietnamese teachers: an analytical study of professional identity in Vietnamese teaching-themed songs

Background This study delves into the cultural portrayal of teachers in Vietnam, a subject critical to understanding the broader role of educators in shaping societal and educational values. Through an analysis of song lyrics, the research aims to uncover how the professional identity of teachers is reflected and shaped within the unique cultural context of Vietnam. Methods A qualitative approach underpins this study, utilizing theoretical frameworks such as Constructivist Grounded Theory, Sociocultural Theory, Symbolic Interactionism, and Hermeneutic Phenomenology. Twelve Vietnamese songs specifically about teachers were selected for analysis. These songs were carefully chosen to provide a diverse and representative sample of the cultural portrayal of teachers in Vietnam. The project spanned from January 1st until February 21st, 2024. Results The analysis revealed several key themes that collectively characterize the professional identity of Vietnamese teachers. These include ‘Sacrifice and Dedication,’ highlighting the commitment and perseverance of teachers; ‘Respect and Reverence,’ reflecting the deep societal respect for the teaching profession; ‘Nurturing and Inspiration,’ depicting teachers as cultivators of dreams and moral values; ‘Enduring Impact and Memory,’ emphasizing the long-lasting influence of teachers on their students; ‘Teacher as a Guiding Figure,’ portraying the role of teachers as key moral and cultural guides; and ‘Emotional Connection and Affection,’ underlining the deep emotional bonds between teachers and students. Conclusions The study’s findings underscore the significant role of cultural and emotional factors in shaping the professional identity of teachers in Vietnam. These themes highlight the multifaceted role of teachers that transcends academic teaching, involving personal development, cultural transmission, and emotional nurturing. The implications of these findings are far-reaching, suggesting that educational policies and teacher education programs need to consider these cultural and emotional dimensions. Additionally, the study highlights the power of cultural artifacts, like music, in reflecting and shaping societal values and professional identities.

Teacher, Professional or Both? A Mixed Method Study of the Professional Identity of Vocational Teachers and Trainers in Hungary

Purpose: Vocational educators in many countries enter teaching as a second career and authentic occupational expertise is seen as essential to good quality VET. The changing contexts of VET and the growing diversity of its learning populations also demand the development of teaching expertise. This dual professionalism is related to a unique combination of an occupational and a teacher identity, however, prior, and mainly qualitative research from a limited number of VET contexts suggests that often one side of this duality prevails. Our study aimed to explore the professional identity of vocational educators in Hungary and to identify some of the factors that might influence its formation. Methods: We applied a mixed method design, conducting a teacher survey (N=138) and semi-structured interviews (N=12). The quantitative and qualitative strands followed a parallel design, exploring the same topics but identity views and the organisational context were studied more deeply in the interviews. In the survey, we measured professional identity through a direct question about its type as well as questions about the importance of specific goals and teacher competence areas in vocational teaching. We used statistical and thematic analyses to study our quantitative and qualitative data. Results: Most vocational educators in our study identified as both a teacher and a professional, though the type of identity varied by gender and length of occupational work experience. Perceptions about the main goals in teaching revealed vocation/outcome-focused and student/education-focused goal orientations influenced by gender, qualifications and work experience, while our qualitative data also showed the impact of school culture and the wider socio-economic context. The goal orientations identified in the survey were more balanced for those with a dual identity, and they correlated with perceptions about the importance of different teacher competence areas, which were most influenced by whether or not the educator had obtained a pedagogical qualification. Conclusion: Our findings showed that although most vocational educators also in Hungary claim to have a dual identity, they often prioritise the development of occupational expertise as they believe it is what gives them credibility that is seen as essential to "good VET". Considering the significant impact we have found of teacher education and continued work in the occupation on identity views, it seems of utmost importance that policy and schools recognise and support the development of both occupational and teacher expertise, to ensure a balanced dual identity that seems best suited for vocational teaching.

Mathematics Graduate Students’ Teacher Identity Development: Examining Roles Within the Teaching Assistant Position

Mathematics Graduate Students’ Teacher Identity Development: Examining Roles Within the Teaching Assistant Position

THE ERA OF SOCIETY 5.0 AND IT’S CHALLENGES FOR ISLAMIC RELIGIOUS EDUCATION TEACHERS

Teachers are one of the components of education and have a big role in determining the success or failure of the objectives of school subjects, including Islamic religious education. The teachers must create an appropriate teaching and learning process because they are responsible for helping students not only acquire knowledge but also develop interests and meet learning goals. After experiencing the industrial era 4.0, researchers are amazed by the changes that have occurred in the era of society 5.0. This research aims to know deeply about the era of society 5.0 and its challenges for Islamic religious education teachers. Library research was the method applied in this research. As the results, it was found that there are several challenges that are faced by the Islamic religious education teachers in the era of society 5.0. These challenges include the quality of education, advances in technology & digitalization, the digital divide, and the role & identity of teachers.

Teacher digital identity divergences: From teacher education to classroom

AbstractDespite high‐quality initial teacher education (ITE), a notable proportion of newly graduated teachers encounter a stark reality shock upon entering the profession, facing burnout and suboptimal teaching performance. While internships during ITE are often seen as a potential solution to bridge the gap between theory and practice, their effectiveness is questioned. This multiple‐case study (N = 38) delves into the ideals and attributes of teacher identities as perceived by preservice teachers in both ITE and internship contexts, with a specific focus on the role of digital technology in education. The interview findings highlight an expectation gap and a susceptibility to succumb to contextual pressures, even within the sheltered environments of internships. This study advocates for closer collaboration between ITE and internship settings to uphold the development of a sound teacher identity and sustain teacher resilience in the increasingly digitalised educational landscape.

Turbulence throughout teacher education: a case study of negotiating teacher identity

ABSTRACT Becoming a teacher is a tricky road paved with struggles. The purpose of this reconstructive educational case study is to exemplify the complex construction of teacher identity by following the five-year journey of one student teacher in the process of qualifying as a primary schoolteacher in Finland. With the heuristic analysis of longitudinal thematic narrative interviews in the frame of Dialogical Self Theory (DST), the key results of the study make a substantial contribution by illustrating how struggles are entrenched in various I-positions of teacher identity. According to our results, we conclude that four I-positions should be carefully supported in teacher education: I as a person, I as a foreigner, I as an academic student and I as a teacher. The role of teacher education in supporting student teachers in this respect is discussed in light of the results.

The role of teaching subject in teachers’ online identity construction: an interpretative phenomenological approach

ABSTRACT Framed in an interpretative phenomenological approach, this study explored the role of teaching subject (i.e. discipline) in Iranian teachers’ online identity construction during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected from teachers of hard and soft sciences through semi-structured interviews, reported practices and online interactions. Data analyses showed that the teachers’ online identities involved similarities and differences across their agency, emotion and reflexivity in relation to teaching subject. The authors found that teaching subject influences the relational nature of teachers’ identity construction, yet it mediates more profoundly the teachers’ agency and practices in online teaching. Moreover, the teachers’ emotion and reflexivity were largely constructed in light of their personalised and collegial understandings relevant to sociocultural idiosyncrasies of online education. The findings provide novel implications for characterising teachers’ online identities, which help teacher educators approach online teacher education in light of situated understandings that account for teacher identities in greater depth.

Co-journeying with ChatGPT in tertiary education: identity transformation of EMI teachers in Taiwan

ABSTRACT This paper responds to the prevalent discourse on the ‘lack of English proficiency’ among EMI teachers in contexts where English is used as an additional language. It explores how AI-powered tools, particularly ChatGPT, enable EMI teachers in Taiwan to leverage their expertise and teach in English with more confidence. This study first describes the training of an EMI PD programme. Then it reports on the challenges and strategies, and the extended and innovative use by EMI teachers after the training. By reporting on the experiences of three EMI teachers, this study shows how collaborating with ChatGPT contributes to developing an empowered EMI teacher identity. This study fills a research gap, shedding light on the transformative potential of collaborating with ChatGPT to transform content teachers’ identities into an EMI teacher identity.

Factors affecting professional identity formation of basic medical sciences teachers in Pakistan: a phenomenological analysis of interviews

IntroductionTeachers can perceive themselves as a true teacher and act as one only if they have a strong professional identity. This study aimed to identify factors that shape the unique professional identity of basic medical sciences teachers in Pakistan.MethodsA qualitative study was performed using the concepts of phenomenology and purposive sampling. A 20-item text-based interview was conducted by sharing a Google Form link with basic medical sciences teachers from select institutions. Iterative data collection and analysis were performed until data saturation was attained.ResultsA total of 40 participants took part in the study. Nine categories were identified and grouped into two major themes: four personal and five environmental factors. Personal factors included characteristics, preferences, religious values, and professional development. Environmental factors included community of practice, students' feedback, administrative support, work environment, and societal apathy. Among these factors, aptitude, family preference or work-life balance, hard work, dedication, and effect on parenting were more evident in women. By contrast, passion, experience, complacency, and unique identity were the prominent factors.DiscussionCommunity of practice [31 (77%)], passion for teaching [21 (52%)], students' feedback [18 (45%)], work-life balance [16 (40%)], and religious values [13 (32%)] were the primary positive contributors to the identity of basic medical sciences teachers. By contrast, poor administrative support [8 (20%)], negative work environment [11 (27%)], job dissatisfaction [7 (17%)], societal apathy [4 (10%)], and lack of opportunities for professional growth [6 (15%)] negatively impact the professional identity of basic medical sciences teachers.

A Sociocultural Perspective on Second Language Teacher Identity Development: Narrative of a Vietnamese Teacher

This study reports and analyzes the life stories of one Vietnamese EFL teacher to accentuate the process of teacher identity development throughout their teaching career. The participant’s story was constructed with data from a series of interviews combined with examination of relevant documents. His narrative was then analyzed thematically under the guidance of Wenger's framework. The analysis shows that EFL teachers’ identity is constantly shaped and reshaped depending heavily on contextual factors. Moreover, the study highlights the challenges that arise when institutional settings do not align, forcing teachers to make tough decisions on their teaching practices and ultimately shaping their teacher identity. The findings also explore a strong relation between teachers experiencing tensions or emotional shock within their teaching context and their shift in teacher identities. Lastly, it was found out that teacher spiritual and religious belief towards their teaching practices acts as a source of mediation that contributes to the construction of teacher identity.

Drawing the past to envision the future: supporting the development of primary STEM teacher identity

ABSTRACT Growing interest in STEM education and imminent curricular reform places new demands on teachers, giving impetus to re-examining how we prepare primary teachers for more integrated approaches. In addition to the acquisition of knowledge and skills, sustainable change demands the development of teacher identity, in which teachers are seen by themselves and others as STEM teachers. This paper reports on the emerging STEM teacher identities of five preservice primary teachers. Using STEM story-lines as an innovative graphing exercise, participants were prompted to reflect on key events that shaped their journey and share future-oriented narratives through drawing and storytelling, as they negotiated becoming STEM teachers. Findings suggest that although their own school experiences were varied and influential, an integrated STEM intervention was the common turning point in their STEM identity development, whereby participants aligned critical components of STEM with personal experiences and values. The reflective tools used supported identity work, by triggering a rediscovery and reinterpretation of their experiences with the benefit of increased knowledge for teaching STEM and, in turn, provided a means to re-envisage the future.

Unveiling the professional identity construction of in-service university English language teachers: Evidence from Bangladesh

This study aims to investigate the construction of professional identity among Bangladeshi university English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers and its influence on classroom performance. Employing a qualitative case study approach, data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and classroom observations. Interviews were conducted with two Bangladeshi university teachers who have significant experience in EFL teaching. The interview questions were designed based on the language teachers’ identity formation model, focusing on factors relevant to foundational competences. Content analysis was employed to analyze the collected data and identify emergent themes. The findings indicate that proficiency in language skills, contextual knowledge, self-awareness, disciplinary knowledge, and classroom management skills play pivotal roles in reshaping the professional identities of Bangladeshi university EFL teachers. Classroom observations revealed the strategies employed by these teachers in language use, pedagogical approaches, and classroom management to construct their professional identities. Despite aspirations to conduct classes solely in English, teachers often resorted to using the students' mother tongue for better comprehension. Based on these findings, the study suggests a focus on diverse teacher education programs in Bangladesh to produce more proficient teachers.

CHALLENGES AND INFLUENCES ON THE OTHER HALF OF THE PICTURE OF THE TEACHER’S IDENTITY

This article provides valuable insights into the professional identity of modern teachers. The actual problem of a modern teacher is his professional image, which ensures the status of a teacher in society. The article reveals the meaning of the concept of “image”, the history of the origin of the term, and its introduction as a phenomenon of social expression. The role and importance of developing the professional image and its components in the modern education system are considered. This study answers three research questions about the role of the image in the teacher’s professional activity, what is the teaching nature of the other half of the image, and how self-esteem in the educational process affects the development of a professional personality. It aims to integrate and synthesize the research findings presented for a comprehensive understanding of the topic. Research findings suggest that teacher professional identity can provide valuable insights into the long-term development and adaptation of professional identity in response to changing educational landscapes and societal expectations.

Socio-political features shaping the mathematics teaching and professional identities of muslim minority teachers in Western Thrace

Socio-political features shaping the mathematics teaching and professional identities of muslim minority teachers in Western Thrace

‘Gaming’ in the English primary school: ‘do whatever you need to do to make your data look good’

ABSTRACT In an international policy environment of intensified high-stakes accountability, pupil assessment data are an invaluable commodity and critical indicator of both school and teacher effectiveness. Teachers’ engagement with pupil data and the associated experiences of increased accountability are of great consequence, and highly contentious for perceptions and experiences of policy. In the context of the English primary school, this paper explores the progressively tactical nature of teachers’ enactment of assessment policy, and the impetus to ‘make the data look good’. It draws upon an empirical study of rich qualitative data from 42 interviews with 22 primary teachers employed in the South-East of England. The findings add to an evolving field about ‘gaming’, and particular consequences for teacher identity are discussed. The paper further advances insights about teachers’ experiences of ‘in-school assessment’ as pertinent for understanding gaming. It locates the pupil progress meeting as an iteration of teacher accountability and performativity, and particular site of contestation, and a specific contribution to knowledge in this regard.

Book Review of Spirituality and English Language Teaching: Religious Explorations of Teacher Identity, Pedagogy and Context by Mary Shepard Wong & Ahmar Mahboob. Staple Hill, Bristol: Multilingual Matters, 2022

Book Review of <i>Spirituality and English Language Teaching: Religious Explorations of Teacher Identity, Pedagogy and Context</i> by Mary Shepard Wong &amp; Ahmar Mahboob. Staple Hill, Bristol: Multilingual Matters, 2022

Teacher identity, Islamic behaviour and project-based learning methods for madrasah teacher: A phenomenological approach

A project-based learning method is required for the development of students' scientific thinking in the field of akidah akhlak (moral theology). This study takes a phenomenological approach to investigate the role of Islamic behavior and identity in the development of project-based learning methods, involving twenty moral theology teachers and conducting in-depth interviews to reveal the narrative of teachers' practice in using project-based learning methods. Thematic analysis of 20 teachers' two-group interviews revealed that teachers' personal beliefs provided a religiously motivated narrative framework that aided in the interpretation of one's experiences. Individual Islamic behavior, religiosity, and identity creativity play a role in developing project-based learning methods for moral theology. In addition to attributing creativity from God-given personality to learning in moral theology, the primary bond in developing project-based learning methods is the application of Islamic principles and Islamic behavior. Following the learning of moral theology, students' identities, Islamic behavior, and scientific thinking develop. Finally, the findings of this exploratory study indicate that Islamic behavior and personal identity can enhance project-based learning methods. Large-scale research could provide more evidence in the future to reconsider the role of religious education in teacher training as an essential factor in developing project-based learning methods for moral theology teachers.

The Intersectionality of Language Teacher Identity: Exploring the Complex Interplay between Language Teacher Identity, Gender, Ethnicity, and Professional Background

The Intersectionality of Language Teacher Identity: Exploring the Complex Interplay between Language Teacher Identity, Gender, Ethnicity, and Professional Background