(Re)construction of a Teacher´s Professional Identity from his Initial Training: Autobiographical Narration

Abstract

This autobiographical article shows how the initial teacher´s training plays a crucial role in the reconstruction of his professional identity. Over this period, the teacher begins to analyze, observe and reflect on what he does and how he does it. This study revolves around three key issues: a) the importance of initial training in the quest for a more fully human education; b) the importance of initial training in the quest for coeducation; c) the importance of initial training for teacher educators. The conclusion is clear: a teacher´s professional identity is strongly determined by the initial stages of his formation, which enable him to build, develop and apply his pedagogical knowledge.

Wanting to become PE teachers in Spain: connections between previous experiences and particular beliefs about school Physical Education and the development of professional teacher identities

“…Learning to teach is a social, emotional, intellectual and personal endeavour that begins well before arriving at the university (Karlsson, 2013). In the area of PE, past experiences of schooling, physical activity and sport underpin the knowledge taken up as well as the understandings and assumptions made about selves as future teachers (González-Calvo et al, 2014;Philpot, 2017). In order to approach and understand the previous and transformative experiences of future PE teachers, we will apply the analytic lens of teacher professional identity.…”

“…In the case of PE, a notable contrast is often made between the high value that teachers of PE place on this subject compared with the low status that it is generally given in relation to most other subjects in the curriculum (Pope, 2014). In other words, although all education is already subject to political and social scrutiny, the nature and positioning of PE have led much of the population to perceive it in negative ways that are difficult to change (González-Calvo et al, 2014). In PE, the embodied nature of a teacher professional identity (Tinning, 2010) can also not be ignored, where aspects such as the body of the teacher, their physical skills and beliefs about the body all play an important role in the development of PE teacher identities (González-Calvo et al, 2020).…”

Vivo y enseñando, pero… ¿por cuánto tiempo? Cuando las circunstancias sociales y los tiempos de pandemia convierten la pasión por la enseñanza en duda y desánimo

“…Las narrativas autobiográficas son un modo de poner a prueba y comprender las experiencias que el docente ha vivido a través de lo que escribe sobre ellas, al extraer los aspectos que considera más relevantes (Fernández Cruz, 2010;González-Calvo & Fernández-Balboa, 2018;González Calvo et al, 2014;Rivas Flores, 2009;Rivas Flores et al, 2009). En este sentido, la narración autobiográfica y la importancia que cobran determinados contenidos permiten vislumbrar un conjunto de acciones y pensamientos propios para poder abordarlos con cierta distancia, hacer un análisis de su propia vida, de las decisiones que toman, cómo y con quién realizan las tareas, por quiénes están condicionados, de modo que se pueden percibir a sí mismos en la realidad de la que son partícipes, e identificar las condiciones de producción del trabajo como parte constituyente de su identidad y su cultura (González-Calvo & Fernández-Balboa, 2018).…”

A Turning Point as an Opportunity to (Re)Think and Give a Voice to One’s Own Body

“…Autobiographical narratives also serve as a way to test and understand the experiences of teachers and how they attempt to make sense of them [33,34]. In this sense, autobiographical narratives give meaning to different experiences-in this case, experiences related to embodiment-and they allow us to discover a group of actions and thoughts that can help us to analyse our own lives and the conditions of work production that are an integral part of our subjectivities and our cultures [34].…”