Exploring teachers professional identity: Role of teacher emotions in developing professional identity

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to develop an understanding of the connections between teacher's emotional development and professional identity. Twenty teachers in their beginning year of profession were interviewed to refl ect on emotional events and how these emotions help them in developing their professional identity. The research question for this study is; how do teachers' refl ections of emotional events contribute in the development of their professional identity? Findings of the research yielded a model of professional identity that refl ected the teachers understanding of themselves in relation to different emotional events. This model includes four key indicators: a) Identity beliefs, b) emotional events and identity negotiation, c) Teachers' attributes and d) adjustment. All participants exhibited the role of emotional events in development of professional identity. Some teachers elaborated that pleasant emotional events confi rmed their identities and others elaborated the unpleasant emotional events which caused them to confront and adjust their emergent identities.

A Study of Student-Teachers' Emotional Experiences and Their Development of Professional Identities

“…In their coursework, diverse negative emotions triggered by external factors might undermine student-teachers' self-confidence, thus inhibit the development of their emerging identities and decrease their willingness to be teachers (Chen et al, 2020 ). Echoing previous research findings (Teng, 2017 ; Kaur, 2018 ), this study demonstrates the detrimental impact of negative emotions on professional identity construction. Multiple course-related factors including challenging tasks and assessment requirements leave student-teachers especially vulnerable to a wide array of negative emotions, which reduces their self-confidence, triggers self-doubt, and undermines their job motivation (Wolff and De Costa, 2017 ).…”

“…Oppositely, the positive emotions student-teachers experience during their coursework strengthen their emerging identities and increase their desire to be teachers. This study provides empirical evidence to the view that positive emotions provoked by student-teachers' sense of achievement and progress can raise their self-confidence (Bao et al, 2021 ) and boost their emerging identities (Yuan and Lee, 2016 ; Kaur, 2018 ; Chen et al, 2020 ). Faced with the difficult and demanding assignments to design lessons and conduct micro-teaching, the student-teachers invest considerable time and effort to grow from knowing nothing to someone who can complete the tasks independently.…”

“…As exemplified in this study, feelings of confusion are triggered as student-teachers face the clashes between original identities and designated identities, dwelling on what to believe and what to do; severe anxiety is produced when they are struggling on designing and improving their lesson plans, and frustration is aroused by unsatisfied outcomes in lesson design and micro-teaching performance after a long period of preparation. As student-teachers reflectively confront the process and outcome of some emotionally engaging events, the aroused negative emotions, by exercising the “inform” function (Fried et al, 2015 ), diagnose and provide information about their learning and professional identity development (Winograd, 2003 ; Kaur, 2018 ). In Dong's reflection, for example, her feelings of worry informed her that problems occurred in learning and effective measures were required for further improvement.…”

School heads’ clinical supervision practices and emerging teacher emotions in Tanzania secondary schools

“…These findings are consistent with previous studies [ 113 , 114 , 115 ] that when teachers present positive attitudes toward teaching and learning supervision, they tend to have positive emotions towards the teaching profession which in turn encourage them from performing effective and efficient teaching practices. Synonymously [ 116 ], found that school heads and teachers’ frequent discussions on teaching and learning practices improved novice teachers’ professional emotions.…”

Accounting Teacher Professional Identity Framework: A Blended Concept of Accountant and Teacher Professionalism

“…Identity means an explicit response to the question "who am I" [13]. The professional identity itself is evolving, which requests not only in a professional manner in job tasks but also in a personal way [14]. In addition, an individual has multiple identities so that the capability of maintaining the identity is critical.…”