“I am a teacher” – exploring how to support teacher identity formation in physical therapists

Abstract Teacher identity formation provides a direction for the development of autonomy (Huang & Benson, 2013). However, the process of identity formation is complex and how this process influences teacher autonomy has not been sufficiently studied. To contribute to knowledge in this field, the present study investigated the relationship between teachers’ attitudes toward teacher identity and teacher autonomy. We first observed 14 Chinese College English teachers’ classroom teaching. Following that, we conducted stimulated recall interviews with all the teachers to pinpoint their autonomous practices. Finally, we conducted semi-structured interviews to investigate these teachers’ attitudes toward their identities. One of the main findings was that the teachers who held a positive attitude toward their professional identity were more autonomous in their teaching practices than those with a negative attitude. The findings invite us to conclude that teachers’ attitudes toward their professional identity are positively associated with teacher autonomy.

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Struggling to-be or not-to-be a bilingual teacher: Identity formation in a Change Laboratory intervention

Methodological Innovations ◽

10.1177/2059799120921696 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 205979912092169 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sharon Chang ◽

Carmen Martínez-Roldán ◽

María E Torres-Guzmán

Keyword(s):

Preservice Teachers ◽

Identity Formation ◽

Student Teaching ◽

Teacher Identity ◽

Major Change ◽

Bilingual Teaching ◽

Bilingual Student ◽

Bilingual Teacher ◽

Teacher Identity Formation ◽

Mediating Tools

While the methodology of formative intervention research has long been established, the aspect of new instrumentality of Change Laboratory is fragmentally documented. Therefore, in this study, we modified two major Change Laboratory mediating tools used in bilingual student-teaching seminars, namely the disturbance diary and four-field model. These two empirically investigated Change Laboratory tools have mediated transformative agency within the collective movement toward identity formation as the Change Laboratory participants (bilingual preservice teachers) conveyed their dilemma of to-be or not-to-be a bilingual teacher. We provide evidence on the relationship between the bilingual preservice teachers’ identity formation and their participation in the Change Laboratory intervention. The analysis made salient the role of two new Change Laboratory mediating tools, the adapted disturbance diary and individually generated four-field models, for the bilingual preservice teachers’ collective transformation in bilingual teaching. It also crystallized the importance of deepening the bilingual preservice teachers’ analysis of multiple languages and pedagogy as understood in the new bilingual teaching model in the Change Laboratory intervention.

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