This thesis is about the process of becoming, or not becoming, a primary school mathematics teacher. The aim is to understand and describe the professional identity development of novice primary school mathematics teachers from the perspective of the novice teachers themselves. The study is a case study with an ethnographic direction where seven novice teachers have been followed from their graduation and two years onwards. The ethnographic direction has been used to make visible the whole process of identity development, both the individual and the social part. The empirical material in the study consists of self-recordings made by the respondents, observations and interviews. The empirical material is analysed in two different but co-operating ways. First a conceptual framework was developed and used as a lens. Second, methods inspired by grounded theory are used. The purpose of using them both is to retain the perspective of the respondents as far as possible. At the time of graduation the respondents are members in a community of reform mathematics teaching and they want to reform mathematics teaching in schools. In their visions they strive away from their own experiences of mathematics in school and practice periods. Four cases are presented closely in the thesis as they show four various routes into, and out of, the teaching profession. These four cases make visible that the respondents’ patterns of participation regarding teaching mathematics changes when they become members in new communities of practice with mathematics teaching as part of the shared repertoire. But, the four cases also make visible that the existence of such communities of practice seems to be rare and that the respondents’ different working conditions limit their possibilities of becoming members in those that exist. During the time span of this study, the respondents hardly receive any feedback for their performance as mathematics teachers. Even if they teach mathematics they don´t teach it as they would like to and they don´t think of themselves as mathematics teachers. Two years after graduation none of the respondents has developed a professional identity as primary school mathematics teacher. A primary school teacher in Sweden is a teacher of many subjects but they are the first teachers to teach our school children mathematics. For the respondents to develop a sense of themselves as a kind of primary school mathematics teacher, mathematics teaching has to become part of their teacher identities. For this to become possible, mathematics must become a part of their image of a primary school teacher as an image of a primary school mathematics teacher. Furthermore memberships in communities of practice with mathematics in the shared repertoire must be accessible, both during teacher education and after graduation. Then professional identity development as a primary school teacher would include becoming and being a teacher of mathematics.

As online graduate programs gain popularity, it has become more important to understand how students enrolled in these programs develop their professional identities. Researchers have demonstrated that there are both benefits and drawbacks to participation in blended learning programs (which incorporate in person and online instruction). It is not known how students enrolled in blended clinical psychology PhD programs experience the in-person portion of these programs and what their experiences mean for their professional identity development. This study examined the perceived impact of one part of an online clinical psychology doctoral program, the in-person classroom experiences, on the professional identity of clinical psychology trainees. Drawing from theories such as actor network theory and transactional distance theory, the current study explored how interactions between students and professors shaped professional identity. The study was qualitative phenomenological, using NVivo software to organize interview data from participants enrolled in blended doctoral programs. There were 6 participants total. A total of 8 themes were found in the data. These themes included fear, expertise, improved understanding, adjusting, growth, change, dissatisfaction, and finding support. Students valued the time spent with professors and perceived themselves to have grown after participating in in-person intensives. The themes found gleaned insight into the professional identity development of students enrolled in blended clinical psychology doctoral programs. This study has implications for how training programs for those in blended programs can be improved, thus improving the quality of patient care.

Qualitative research is scant on success factors of professional identity development for female African American counselor educators, specifically those who graduated from CACREP-accredited counselor education and supervision programs at predominately White institutions (PWIs). The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the lived experiences of female African American counselor educators who attended a CACREP-accredited counselor education and supervision program at a (PWI). This study focused on the phenomenon of success factors of professional identity development to doctoral degree completion. This study examined the lived experiences of 10 female African American counselor educators to gain a better understanding of how their experiences at CACREP-accredited counselor educations and supervision programs at a (PWI) impacted success of professional identity development to doctoral degree completion. It used a qualitative, phenomenological methodology grounded in Intersectionality theory, Black Feminist thought, and Critical Race theory as frameworks. There were three research questions to guide the study in the participants? perceptions of professional identity development and the impact of success factors of professional identity development on doctoral degree completion. This study conducted semi-structured interviews with ten female African American counselor educators who completed doctoral degrees in (PWIs) in the United States. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Moustakas (1994) Modification of Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen data analysis. The goals of this study was to: a) review and present literature on female African American in the academy; b) increase knowledge on professional identity among female African American counselor educators who attended a CACREP -accredited counselor education and supervision program at (PWIs) in the United States; and c) explore ways to increase professional identity development to support female African American doctoral students to complete their doctoral degree and move into counselor education positions. Ten African American females who graduated from CACREP-accredited counselor education and supervision programs were interviewed. There were six themes: Convenience of the Location, Importance of support from Dissertation chair, Representation of African American women with PhDs in the community, I was needed and access, Being a Black woman in that space and Voice, Faith-based community and I prayed. Recommendations and directions for future research are discussed.

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The purpose of this dissertation study was to explore the professional preparation of students in online classes at a Christian theological seminary. Concerns of theological education involve the capacity or incapacity of community development and somatic or embodied learning in online education. Using a theoretical framework drawn from communities of practice (Wenger, 1998), professional clergical preparation (Foster, Dahill, Golemon, & Tolentino, 2005), and Gee’s (2000-2001) dimensions of identity development, the researcher focused the analyses on students’ written texts located in the discussion board fora of the online courses. These records were examined for indications of formation of the professional identity of the developing clergy, interpretation skills necessary for the clergy, performance development for activities entailed in the profession, and contextualization proficiencies for the situated enactment of the local church ministry essential in the practice of the professional clergy. The study concludes that students’ discussions evince dimensions of the development of professional identity and pastoral imagination as described in Foster, Dahill, Golemon, & Tolentino (2005). In addition, stories shared on the discussion fora, told both by the instructors and the classmates who had a range of experience in first careers or in pastoral ministry, built a shared repertoire of professional practice as inherent in a Community of Practice (Wenger,1998). The dissertation study confirms if and then identifies how graduate students in online ministerial preparation use discursive and interactive participation to identify with the professional Community of Practice of the clergy The structures of the discussion board fora, the roles of the instructor, and implications for instructional designs that may support the development of pastoral professional identity are also included. Findings demonstrated that less structured discussion prompts as well as more frequent postings stimulated more student-student interaction that built relationships. Courses that focused more on student-content interactions had less relationship building. A non-evaluative facilitation tone of the discussion fora generated a more collaborative environment. In classes that utilized a learn-by-doing approach, collaborative student discursive activity in the discussion fora supported and enhanced learning. Creative discursive activities such as case studies and role plays provided simulated experiences and spurred narrative development of shared repertoire.

Professional identity development occurs during graduate training through mentoring, modeling, and academic training by counselor educators. If counselor educators are to transmit this professional identity, they must possess a robust professional identity themselves. Professional identity development theory suggests that the strength of this professional identity may be threatened by a lack of belonging in academia for nontenured or contingent faculty. A correlational research design using a purposeful convenience sample was used to examine the relationship between academic role, employment status, years of experience, and professional identity among counselor educators. The participants (n=50) were counselor educators who subscribe to the CESNET-Listserv. A multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to relate demographic variables to scores on the Professional Identity Scale in Counseling (PISC). There were statistically significant relationships between employment status and overall PISC score (p = .044) and Engagement Behavior subscale (p = .013), while academic role was related to Professional Roles and Expertise (p = .041) and Philosophy of the Profession (p = .024) subscales at statistically significant levels. Years of experience was related to the Philosophy of the Profession (p = .046) subscale at a statistically significant level. The potential social change from this study is that a better understanding of factors related to counselor identity in educators may positively influence graduate school mentoring, modeling, and training and thereby strengthen professional identity in counseling students, which in turn may improve the quality of future services to clients.

Le processus de professionnalisation des infirmières en France semble se baser préférentiellement sur une professionnalisation par les savoirs et les activités. La professionnalisation des individus par la construction d'une identité professionnelle est peu interrogée. Adoptant un regard psychosocial, nous nous proposons dans ce travail d'appréhender le développement identitaire professionnel des étudiants infirmiers. La construction de l’identité professionnelle des étudiants infirmiers s’appuie d’une part sur l'élaboration et l'évolution des représentations socioprofessionnelles de la profession infirmière et d’autre part, dans les relations intergroupales et sur le processus de catégorisation sociale qu'adoptent les étudiants infirmiers tout au long de leur formation. Réalisée dans quatre Instituts de Formation de la région Aquitaine auprès d’étudiants en début et en fin de formation, l’enquête allie méthode quantitative et méthode qualitative en deux séquences : des entretiens de groupe restreint et naturel ont été effectués en début et en fin d’année scolaire ; un questionnaire a été administré en milieu d’année scolaire aux promotions dans leur totalité. Les résultats montrent une différence et une évolution dans les représentations socioprofessionnelles qu’ont les étudiants de leur future profession. Une distinction est repérée non seulement selon l’année de formation mais aussi selon l’IFSI d’origine. La catégorisation sociale inter IFSI montre une évolution dans les modalités de catégorisation selon les IFSI et peu de corrélation avec les années de formation. / The professionalization process of nurses in France seems to be preferentially based on knowledge and activities. The professionalization of individuals through the building up of a professional identity is hardly taken into account. In this study, we suggest to examine the professional identity development of nursing students from a psychosocial viewpoint. The building up of nursing students’ professional identity rests on the elaboration and development of socio-professional representations of the nursing profession on the one hand, and of cross-group relationships and the process of social categorization embraced by nursing students through their training on the other. Conducted among beginning and advanced students in four Training Institutes of the Aquitaine Region, this two-stage survey combines quantitative and qualitative methods: small, spontaneous group interviews were conducted at the beginning and end of the school year; the full student body was also given a questionnaire halfway through the school year. The results indicate differences and changes in the students’socio-professional representations of their future profession. Differences were observed not only depending on training level but also depending on the students’ home IFSI (Institut de Formation en Soins Infirmiers - Nursing Assistant Training Institute). The cross-ISFI social categorization reveals changes in categorization methods depending on the IFSI, and little correlation with training levels.