‘I can only learn in dialogue!’ Exploring professional identities in teacher education

Abstract

This article discusses how professional identity, conceptualised as 'stories professionals tell about themselves at a specific moment in a specific context', can be portrayed to address its complexity as a dynamic, constructed, cognitive-emotional, multi-voiced, and dialogical concept. In order to construct a narrative-biographical method, eight teacher educators reflected on their professional development, using the self-confrontation method, resulting in self-narratives. The findings of the study indicate teacher educators' meaningful experiences can be portrayed in a systematic way using identity components such as job motivation, task perception, task-feeling, self-image and selffeeling. This method can reveal a personal or professional theme to further educators' development, focusing both on a content level as well as an emotional level. These results were illustrated by one teacher educator's story. Finally, suitability of this method was discussed for reflection purposes in teacher education and research goals.

Emerging Critical Literacy in Teachers as Novice Researchers

“…There is an abundance of narrative research that portrays the intricate connections between teacher knowledge and teachers' experiences in a range of educational situations and contexts (Barak, Gidron, &Turniansky, 2010;Carillo & Baguley, 2011;Chan, 2006;Chang & Rosiek 2003;Clandinin & Connelly, 1996;Craig, , 2007Elbaz-Luwisch, 2004;Elbaz-Luwisch, 2010;Mitton Kukner & Akyuz, 2012;Murray Orr & Olson 2007;Olson & Craig 2001;Shields, 2005;Vloet & van Swet 2010).…”

Seeking Time Within Time: Exploring the temporal constraints of women teachers’ experiences as graduate students and novice researchers

“…There is a wealth of narrative research in an array of educational setting and situations that illustrates the numerous ways teachers learn and develop as multiple and contextually dependent (Barak et al, 2010;Carillo & Baguley, 2011;Craig, 2007;Elbaz-Luwisch, 2010;Vloet & van Swet 2010). My review of the literature informed my understanding that while much was known about the benefits and challenges of teachers conducting research far less was known about teachers' research experiences over time.…”

Role Perception among Faculty Members at Teacher Education Colleges

“…According to , teacher educators are responsible for establishing student teachers' basic knowledge and for equipping them with the tools necessary for their independent professional development in the future by imparting the theoretical foundations. Other studies show that teacher educators consider enhancing students' pedagogic knowledge more important than increasing their content knowledge (Ben-Peretz et al, 2010;Vloet & Swet 2010). Researchers (Ben-Peretz et al, 2010;Koster, Brekelmans, Koetsier, Korthagen, & Wubbels, 2003) have claimed that a major part of teacher educators' efforts should be dedicated to the development of teacher trainees' capacity to think and reflect on their own professional performance.…”