The development of elementary teacher identities as teachers of science

Carrier, Sarah; Whitehead, Ashley; Walkowiak, Temple A.; Luginbuhl, Sarah C.; Thomson, Margareta Maria

doi:10.1080/09500693.2017.1351648

Cited by 33 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Some of the constraints are structural in nature, while others are related to the individual. Examples of structural constraints include lack of administrative support for science teaching often related to the emphasis on standardized testing (Milner, Sondergeld, Demir, Johnson, & Czerniak, 2012; Upadhyay, 2009); access to materials and resources (Carrier, Whitehead, Walkowiak, Luginbuhl, & Thomson, 2017; Murphy, Neil, & Beggs, 2007), and time to prepare for science teaching (Davis et al, 2006; Goodrum, Cousins, & Kinnear, 1992).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Lack of access to resources and materials for teaching science is a concern that is frequently mentioned in the literature related to elementary science teaching (Milner et al, 2012; Murphy et al, 2007). This difficulty in securing resources can be perceived by novice elementary teachers as an indication of the priority that administrators place on science teaching (Appleton & Kindt, 2002; Carrier et al, 2017). In addition to the lack of resources for teaching science, elementary teachers may also face difficulty in finding curriculum materials and lesson ideas that are appropriate (Davis & Smithey, 2009).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Similarly, the elementary teacher studied by Zembylas (2004) explained that she was willing to challenge the pushback that she faced from other teachers at her school because the students had such a positive reaction to her science lessons. Carrier et al (2017) described a comparable pattern for preservice teachers who used the enthusiasm of the students to strengthen their views of themselves as elementary science teachers.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As teacher identity morphs over time, the context in which the teacher works plays an important role in determining the trajectory of identity development (Beijaard et al, 2004) because teacher identity is socially constructed (Avraamidou, 2014; Coldron & Smith, 1999). In four separate studies that were specific to science teacher identity, researchers documented the changing nature of the participants’ science teacher identities as they gained experience with positive science teaching episodes (Carlone et al, 2010; Carrier et al, 2017; Helms, 1998; Jones & Leagon, 2014). Therefore, one factor that science education should research related to developing positive science teacher identities is the role that emotions play in how teachers make sense of their experiences.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While there are several studies that investigate preservice and novice teachers and their identity development for science teaching (e.g., Avraamidou & Zembal‐Saul, 2010; Carrier et al, 2017), there are few that explore the identity development of more experienced elementary teachers with respect to science teaching (Avraamidou, 2014). Two decades ago, Helms (1998) pointed out the dearth of studies examining the role of subject matter in teacher identity development and little has changed in that time.…”

Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Questioning the prevailing narrative about elementary science teachers: An analysis of the experiences of science teacher enthusiasts

Bradbury

Wilson

2020

Science Education

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The purpose of this study is to challenge the prevailing negative narrative related to elementary science teaching by investigating the experiences of elementary teachers who identify as science teacher enthusiasts (STEs). Holland, Lachiotte, Skinner, and Cain (1998)'s conception of identity as an ongoing production or construction in a socio‐cultural context served as a theoretical framing for exploring structural and personal supports and constraints related to the development of elementary teachers’ science teaching identities. Through interviews with 13 inservice elementary teachers with a range of experience (1–40 years), we found that students’ enthusiasm for science, connections with other enthusiasts, and opportunities for integrating science with other content areas were the major supports for consistent science teaching. Positive emotions associated with these supports helped the participants mitigate constraints such as lack of time, resources, testing, and not feeling comfortable with the science content frequently associated with portraits of elementary teachers. By understanding the experiences of STEs, science educators can use their role as preservice educators and professional developers to provide these supports to bolster the science teaching identity trajectories of individuals with whom they work.

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Questioning the prevailing narrative about elementary science teachers: An analysis of the experiences of science teacher enthusiasts

Bradbury

Wilson

2020

Science Education

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Understanding teacher identity in teachers' professional lives: A systematic review of the literature

Rushton,

Rawlings Smith,

Steadman

et al. 2023

Review of Education

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This article presents a systematic review of a substantial body of literature that considers the ways in which the concept of teacher identity has been used to understand and explore teachers' professional lives. The aim of the review was to go beyond the limitations of specific areas of teachers' practice to explore the broad and rich field of teachers' professional lives. Drawing on 412 articles from 2000–2021, the review demonstrates the growth in teacher identity research, particularly since 2010. Results from the review are categorised into seven thematic groups that span key areas related to teachers' professional lives: (1) Models and frameworks of professional lives; (2) Narratives of professional lives; (3) Becoming a teacher; (4) Contexts; (5) Communities; (6) Change, transition and conflict; and (7) Subject specialisms. The review reveals gaps in teacher identity research, such as: few research studies from Global South countries; a limited number of studies focusing on non‐core curriculum subjects, including arts, history, geography and physical education; fewer studies focusing on primary school and early years teacher identities; and a divide between identity scholarship and research, and policy and practice. The article concludes with a call for teacher identity research to be expanded and broadened with the aim to facilitate the progress of identity work in scholarship, policy and practice. Context and implicationsRationale for this studyIn the context of a growing body of research on teacher identity, particularly in the last decade, there remains a paucity of identity‐focused systematic reviews. Existing systematic reviews tend to focus on specific fields such as subject specialisms, teacher education and beginning teachers. However, far fewer reviews span the broader field of teachers' professional lives; this article responds to this gap in the literature.Why the new findings matterThe findings from this review are important in highlighting the most commonly explored areas in teacher identity research as it relates to teachers' professional lives. As such, the findings can inform policy and practice for teacher education and professional development at local, national and international scales. The findings also highlight gaps in the literature and the implications this may have on teacher identity scholarship.Implications for educational researchers and educatorsFirstly, educational researchers can identify key themes arising from existing teacher identity research studies. This can help them to focus on specific areas that would benefit from further research as well as providing them with a single space from which to draw on the existing corpus of research studies. Secondly, teacher identity research is important for the professional lives and practice of educators and this review provides educators with an opportunity to understand the teacher identity scholarly landscape and, in turn, apply findings from the research to their own professional practice.

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“I sit here thinking I can do this”—Developing justice‐centered ambitious science teaching identities in professional learning communities

Cooke,

Campbell,

Luehmann

et al. 2024

J Res Sci Teach

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Explicitly attending to justice in science teaching and learning is long overdue. Here, we examined the professional teacher identity development of 13 science teachers as they collaborated in networked professional learning communities (PLCs) to implement and revise a culture‐setting unit focused on the science of COVID and engaging in collaborative inquiry cycles to identify and refine justice‐centered ambitious science teaching (JuST) practices in classrooms. These JuST practices are conceptualized as a synthesis of justice‐centered pedagogies and ambitious science teaching. To accomplish our research aims, we drew on qualitative methods, where we relied on transcribed video recordings of 21 PLC meetings and three transcribed end‐of‐year focus group interviews of two PLCs (i.e., 13 secondary science teachers, mostly white) across a year‐long period. As a result of our analyses, we identified how professional learning arranged through PLCs, culture‐setting units, and collaborative inquiries supported professional JuST identity development by, among other affordances, providing space for the critical and emotional work of learning to discuss race, affording teachers strategies for getting to know their students and the assets they bring to classrooms, and recognition and positioning of teachers as professionals capable of identifying or developing, refining, and contributing to knowledge about JuST science teaching and learning. Challenges identified included, among others, identifying how the culture‐setting units could be effectively integrated into existing curriculum maps and the uneven implementation support from administrators. In the end, what is revealed helps better conceptualize how engaging teachers in PLCs around tasks like curriculum implementation and refinement or collaborative inquires support professional JuST identity development and how such experiences can be more carefully negotiated.

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The development of elementary teacher identities as teachers of science

Cited by 33 publications

References 29 publications

Questioning the prevailing narrative about elementary science teachers: An analysis of the experiences of science teacher enthusiasts

Questioning the prevailing narrative about elementary science teachers: An analysis of the experiences of science teacher enthusiasts

Understanding teacher identity in teachers' professional lives: A systematic review of the literature

“I sit here thinking I can do this”—Developing justice‐centered ambitious science teaching identities in professional learning communities

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