Examining Incoming Identities in an Alternative Certification Program in Mathematics and Science

Abstract

In response to the shortage of qualified secondary mathematics and science teachers in the United States, alternative certification programs (ACPs) are proliferating. This study used identity as a theoretical lens to examine the incoming identities of 19 participants with post-baccalaureate degrees who entered an ACP. Within this cohort, the participants' incoming teacher identities ranged from "Always a Teacher" to "Late Deciders" to "Career Explorers." Participants held multiple non-teaching identities, some which supported their teacher identities (e.g., parent, tutor) while other identities (e.g., college instructor) created tension. Implications include recommendations for alternative certification program development and further research.

Middle and high school science teacher identity considered through the lens of the social identity approach: a systematic review of the literature

“…Part of the growth in alternative training programmes has been in an attempt to ameliorate teacher shortages that are particularly felt in mathematics and science subjects (Friedrichsen et al, 2008;. In the USA, the traditional teaching training route is through a four-year undergraduate degree, whereas alternative certification programs (ACPs) are usually a much shorter (9-18 month) course that is completed by individuals with a Batchelor's degree in a science or related subject and, consequently, participants are drawn from more diverse backgrounds, with a greater range of non-teaching experiences (Friedrichsen et al, 2008).…”

“…Part of the growth in alternative training programmes has been in an attempt to ameliorate teacher shortages that are particularly felt in mathematics and science subjects (Friedrichsen et al, 2008;. In the USA, the traditional teaching training route is through a four-year undergraduate degree, whereas alternative certification programs (ACPs) are usually a much shorter (9-18 month) course that is completed by individuals with a Batchelor's degree in a science or related subject and, consequently, participants are drawn from more diverse backgrounds, with a greater range of non-teaching experiences (Friedrichsen et al, 2008). In research that explored the identities of 19 preservice high school science and mathematics teachers who participated in an ACP, Friedrichsen et al (2008) observed that participants began the program with a range of identities, including participants who firmly identified as teachers as well as those who were exploring teaching as part of wider career development.…”

“…In a similar study of a different ACP, found that the networks that preservice teachers developed with their peers through the alternative teacher training program provided teachers with a community of support that continued during at the least the first year of teaching. Preservice teachers training in the alternative routes described in the research of Friedrichsen et al (2008), and Proweller and Mitchener (2004), enrolled in programs that were designed to address the lack of specialist mathematics and science teachers that is particularly acutely felt in economically poor areas of rural and urban regions (Proweller & Mitchener, 2004) of the USA. Although these studies are all based in the USA, the shortages they seek to address are applicable across the UK and continental Europe.…”

Are We Supporting Teacher Success: Insights From an Alternative Route Mathematics Teacher Certification Program for Urban Public Schools

“…Different types of candidates enter alternative routes with different skill sets and orientations and hence have different needs. Two studies of the identities of alternate route teachers (Chin & Young, 2007;Friedrichsen, Lannin, Abell, Arbaugh, & Volkmann, 2008) indicate that there are as many "career explorers" as there are "career changers" and that the former group is generally made up of recent college graduates who express "uncertainty with their career paths" (Friedrichsen et al, 2008, p. 179). As such, Friedrichsen et al (2008) question "whether [alternative route programs], due to their intensive nature, are the most appropriate avenue" for such candidates (p. 185).…”

Science and mathematics teacher communities of practice: social influences on discipline-based identity and self-efficacy beliefs

“…Social interactions are key components of the identity, self-efficacy, and retention constructs described above. Interactions within communities of practice (CoP; i.e., groups of people who interact to improve a shared craft; Wenger, 1998) have previously been examined as a means to understand teacher identity and how it develops (Friedrichsen, Lannin, Abell, Arbaugh, & Volkmann, 2008;Luehmann, 2007;Varelas, House, & Wenzel, 2005). Ofem et al (2021) have studied teacher interactions using social network analysis (SNA) to correlate network structures and self-efficacy, reporting that male teachers experienced higher self-efficacy when perceiving they were part of more dense networks.…”