Identity development as a lens to science teacher preparation

Abstract

Concepts and findings from research on identity development are employed to better understand why current science teacher preparation programs are failing to prepare teachers who are able and choose to implement the vision for science education articulated in professional standards. Identity theory is used as a theoretical lens to make sense of and better address some of the unique challenges of becoming a reform‐minded science teacher, a professional identity that does not reflect the common norm in the profession; these challenges include the emotional risk and possible need for “repair work,” lack of familiarity with and buy‐in into complex practices of inquiry, and the need for opportunities to participate in competent practice and have this participation acknowledged. Two basic design principles for science teacher preparation are identified as a result of this analysis: (a) the need to create safe places and scaffolded ways for beginning science teachers to try on and develop their identities as reform‐minded science teachers, which may include capitalizing on the unique opportunities of practice teaching in out‐of‐school contexts; and (b) the need to offer opportunities to be recognized, by self and others, as reform‐minded teachers through ongoing, structured, and supported reflection. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed 91:822–839, 2007

Science teacher identity and eco-transformation of science education: comparing Western modernism with Confucianism and reflexive Bildung

“…Yavuz Saka, Sherry Southerland, Julie Kittleson, and Todd Hutner (2013) call the identity of such teachers 'reform-minded'. However, as April Lynn Luehmann (2007) shows, it is not an easy task to become a reform-minded science teacher. It is a complex process of identity development-a process of forming and reforming oneself.…”

Design ideas, reflection, and professional identity: how graduate students explore the idea generation process

“…In fact, one of the purposes of the REFLECT rubric was to provide a framework for formative feedback that could support students in developing their reflective capacity (Wald et al, 2012). It is also important to point out that professional identity construction is not a stable, straightforward process (Dall'Alba, 2009;Luehmann, 2007), and thus reflective writing done in service of this task will likely reflect this instability. Our preliminary research on reflection and identity development supports this, as results suggested that reflective abilities varied within individual participants DOCUMENTING DESIGN IDEAS 14 across the semester, particularly in participants who fell in the lower tiers of reflective ability (Author, 2014).…”

“…It is commonly thought that inspiration strikes when intense work sessions are alternated with periods of mental relaxation away from the design problem (Cross, 2007) or, similarly, after a period of incubation or shift in context, often after a period of feeling blocked or fixated on an unworkable idea (Smith, 2003). Other studies have examined how stimuli may trigger the emergence of design ideas or influence the content of those ideas; these include textbased stimuli, visual stimuli, subliminal stimuli, verbal or conversational stimuli, and other idea DOCUMENTING DESIGN IDEAS 4 generation activities (Cai, Do, and Zimring, 2009;Chandrasekera et al, 2012;Goldschmidt & Sever, 2010;Gonçalves, Cardoso, & Badke-Schaub, 2014;Perttula & Sipilä;2007;Salter & Gann, 2002). Still others have identified the end users as the primary trigger for design ideation, with designers attempting to reduce the design problem complexity by empathizing with learners and better anticipating the learning experience (Rapanta & Cantoni, 2014).…”

“…The establishment and maintenance of professional identity involves the process of becoming, which addresses not only what we know and do but also who we are; despite this, most education programs stop short by focusing on the development of specific knowledge and skills without addressing the concurrent transformation the self (Dall'Alba, 2009). This transformation is typically achieved via external, socially situated representations of the self through dynamic narratives that are integral to developing professional identity and ways of being (Luehmann, 2007). For designers, professional identity includes the understanding of the self in the design sphere and what is expected of them within that space.…”

Accessing resources for identity development by urban students and teachers: foregrounding context

“…As Gee (2005) articulates, it is important to keep in mind that, while one's participation within a given Discourse is necessary in order for a new identity to develop, it is in the interpretation or recognition of that participation, by self or others, that identities are formed. In another article, I extended this discussion by considering this participation and recognition work specifically in the case of the professional learning of reform-minded science teachers (Luehmann 2007).…”