Teacher Candidate Psychological Insight and Capacity for Change: Developing a Professional Identity

Abstract

could not have reached this point without her support and guidance throughout this process. Jennifer worked tirelessly to provide me with feedback and direction. For more than a year, we met every two weeks so that she could monitor my progress and hold me accountable. During the moments I felt overwhelmed, she was the calming influence that helped me to continue moving forward. I also would like to recognize my friends and colleagues, specifically A.J. Zenkert, Sherry Dismuke, Lisa Beymer, and Phil Kelly who supported, inspired, motivated, and consoled me throughout this journey. These were the individuals that did not allow me to quit and encouraged me to remain persistent until the This dissertation was designed as a psychological case study using a phenomenological approach. A case study, as defined by Merriam (1988), provides a thorough description and analysis of a specific phenomenon, a phenomenon that is found within a bounded context (Miles & Huberman, 1994). The phenomenon examined was the ability of teacher candidates to reflect upon self and others with regard to their thoughts, emotions, and actions within a classroom context, and the influence their insight had upon the development of a professional identity.Data were collected from all participants and interpreted by the researcher in order to describe commonalities found within their experiences (Moustakas, 1994). The Self-Reflection and Insight Scale (SRIS) and Teacher Efficacy Scale (TES) were quantitative measures used as baseline data for levels of psychological insight and teacher vi efficacy. The three primary data sources consisted of an initial interview, exit interview, and video observations. The initial and exit interviews were designed as a semi-structured interview to gain further understanding of the participant's behavior within the classroom context, ability to reflect on self and others, their efficacy for teaching, and their philosophical beliefs regarding teaching and learning. The video observations of self and other gave participants the opportunity to reflect on a video recorded lesson conducted within the classroom context.The data collected was examined using both a within-case and cross-case analysis. During the within-case analysis, emerging themes were identified through the interpretation of the data collected for each individual case. A summarized portrayal was created to describe the thoughts, feelings, and actions of each participant. A cross-case analysis was conducted to identify common themes that emerged across all cases by data source. Components influencing the development of a professional identity were identified and summarized based on these common themes. Warrantability was maintained during the collection and analysis process through triangulation, member checks, peer examinations, and a researcher's journal.Analysis of the three primary data sources identified five components that may have a potential impact on development of a teacher candidate's professional identity.These components were labeled as in...