As exigências atuais em relação ao professor se estabelecem em torno de sua capacidade e sensibilidade de construir, planejar e gerir um currículo capaz de formar um cidadão em condições de, além de tomar atitudes socialmente responsáveis, também consiga produzir mudanças em busca de soluções para problemas que enfrentam em seu cotidiano. Espera-se, portanto, que o professor desenvolva, planeje e elabore projetos educacionais. No entanto, as pesquisas mostram que a maioria dos professores nem sempre está em condições de implementar, executar e gerir tais projetos e, de forma geral, reproduz o ensino que teve nas experiências que vivenciou enquanto aluno. Em nossa pesquisa, buscaremos investigar a trajetória percorrida por dois professores de Física, participantes de um grupo de professores que buscaram pôr em prática um projeto de caráter interdisciplinar, visando compreender como o resgate da dimensão intelectual docente pode ou não contribuir para o desenvolvimento da autonomia profissional do professor de Ciências. Nossa pesquisa parte da hipótese de que muitas das dificuldades enfrentadas pelos professores relacionam-se com a identidade docente de cada professor, bem como suas concepções acerca do exercício de sua autonomia profissional. Assim sendo, escolhemos adotar a modalidade de pesquisa qualitativa denominada estudo de caso, por estarmos mais interessados na identificação de aspectos próprios da realidade docente e do âmbito escolar que interferem decisivamente na maneira como o ensino é praticado, para, assim, analisar como os aspectos intrapessoais, interpessoais e institucionais dos professores interferiram na execução do projeto; caracterizar a autonomia dos docentes de física e analisar se a mesma se desenvolveu ao longo da trajetória do resgate intelectual do ofício de professor. Portanto, na metodologia de coleta de dados, a pesquisa se constituirá de três fases: o planejamento, a tomada de decisão e a análise que os professores fazem das medidas pedagógicas adotadas. Para análise, utilizaremos os referenciais que estudam a autonomia docente relacionando-a com a identidade profissional do professor, fixando nossas atenções, principalmente, nos processos reflexivos a partir do estabelecimento do quádruplo diálogo e do desenvolvimento da alteridade. / The current demands on the teacher are established around their ability and sensitivity to build, plan and manage a curriculum capable of forming a citizen in a position, in addition to taking socially responsible attitudes, can also produce changes in search of solutions to problems they face in their daily lives. It is expected, therefore, that the teacher develop, plan and develop educational projects. However, research shows that most teachers are not always able to deploy, run and manage such projects and, generally, reproduce education who had the experiences they experienced as students. In our research, we will seek to investigate the career trajectory by two professors of physics, members of a group of teachers who, in a work of action research, sought to implement an interdisciplinary project in order to understand how the rescue of teaching intellectual dimension can or not contribute to the development of professional autonomy of science teacher. Our research starts from the hypothesis that many of the difficulties faced by teachers are related to the teaching identity of each teacher and their conceptions of the exercise of their professional autonomy. Therefore, we chose to adopt the method of qualitative research called case study, because we are more interested in identifying specific aspects of the teaching reality and the school environment that interfere decisively in the way teaching is practiced, to thus analyze how aspects intrapersonal, interpersonal and institutional interfered of teachers in project implementation; characterize the autonomy of physics teachers and consider whether it developed along the path of intellectual rescue Teacher craft. Therefore, data collection methodology, the research will consist of three phases: planning, decision making and analysis that teachers do pedagogical measures adopted. For analysis, we will use the benchmarks studying teaching autonomy relating it to the professional identity of the teacher, fixing our attention mainly on the reflective processes from establishment of the quad dialogue and the development of otherness.

A phenomenological inquiry of five place-aware biology teachers was conducted to determine how teachers’ lived experiences in place influence their pedagogy, if at all. High school biology teachers from one public and private school in Victoria, British Columbia were recruited through volunteer sampling. Through in-depth interviews, journal writings and artefacts representative of lived experiences of place, teachers were invited to share their lived experience narratives of places of meaning and teaching experiences of place. Drawing on Merleau-Ponty’s embodiment phenomenology, a case-by-case thematic analysis was first conducted per informant, followed by analyses of commonalities across informants as appropriate. It was found that teachers shared similar experiences in different places of meaning: a sense of mystery that there is always something to be revealed, an experience of the vastness and complexity of places, a sense of care for nature as the Other and a feeling of fondness for places as shared through close family and community members. However, the degree and manner in which such experiences transferred into teachers’ pedagogies differed, as some teachers demonstrated a stronger intentionality of place-consciousness than others. The study highlights the humanness of teachers and the unique styles that individual teachers bring into their practices. I suggest that the complex and multidimensional notion of places as revealed through the study opens possibilities for holistic approaches in science education, with a focus on embodied, caring consciousness for the places that we inhabit. / Graduate

This autoethnographic study focuses on changing identity after experiencing a rare disease. The purpose of this study was to examine the ways in which identity shifts during an after a rare illness. Three research questions guided this study: How and in what ways has my identity as a teacher shifted as a result of my experience with major illness? How and in what ways have other aspects of my identity shifted as a result of my illness? How can the writing of my autoethnography influence the healing process and my understanding of identity? The participant/researcher of this study was hospitalized with anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis, and subsequently lost her position as a high school teacher and was forced to find a position at a new school. Using Gee’s (2000/2001) concept of identity as an analytic lens, the researcher developed a narrative of her journey from illness back into the classroom. After analysis, she identified a transition from a traditional, knowledge-giver teacher role to the role of teacher as a facilitator. Another finding was the role confidence played in the recovery process. The researcher then offers suggestions for further research regarding teachers who return to the classroom after illness.

This study asked the question of how I constructed my beginner teacher identity as a female Mathematics teacher and why my journey unfolded in the way it did. With regards to beginner teacher identities I used work from Morrison (2013), Pennington & Richards (2015), Ballentyne & Grootenboer (2012) and Beijaard, Meijer & Verloop (2004). For work on the beginner female STEM teachers, I used authors including Spangenberg & Myburgh (2017), Else-Quest et al. (2013), Stromquist et al. (2013), Ahlqvist et al. (2013) and Rodriguez et al. (2017). These concepts were key to the understanding of this study. An Interpretivist epistemological paradigm underpinned this study (Wagner, Kawilich & Garner 2012). The conceptual lens used in this study was designed employing tenets of the Social Identity Theory of Tajfel & Turner (1979) as well as Albert Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory (1994). I followed a qualitative research approach and autoethnography as research design whereby the I, the researcher was also the sole participant of the study (Ellis, 2009). Co-constructors of knowledge were involved in this study to corroborate my personal. They comprised of close family members and a friend. Data generation methods included self-reflexive narratives about my experiences as a beginner teacher and my researcher’s journal. Furthermore, I conducted semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with the co-constructors. In analysing my data, I used the method of thematic analysis whereby I would read my data and identify suitable themes based on my two secondary research questions. The main findings of the study showed that I faced situations that went against my pre-conceived expectations, formed in part by my family members and that the construction of my beginner teacher identity involved a process wherein I had to accept elements of my out-group as part of my in-group (Tajfel & Turner, 1979) to achieve a satisfied social identity. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria 2020. / pt2021 / Humanities Education / MEd / Unrestricted

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The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the effects of the student teaching experience on secondary agricultural education teachers. Eight of the thirteen participants in this study served as a cooperating teacher during the 2012 spring semester for pre-service teachers in agricultural education from a land-grant institution. Three of the participants had served as a cooperating teacher during either the 2010 or 2011 spring semester but had reported a negative student teaching experience with their last student teacher. Two of the participants had served as pilot interviews for the study, but they were added as participants during the analysis of the study. The participants provided interviews, opportunities for professional observations, and teaching documents for analysis. Four major themes emerged in the study 1) The professional identities of secondary agricultural education teachers are affected by their membership in the pre-service teacher community. 2) Secondary agricultural education teachers volunteer as cooperating teachers to help others and themselves professionally. 3) Secondary agricultural education teachers empower themselves and other members of their communities through their leadership due to their strong sense of political efficacy. 4) The professional practices of agriculture teachers are influenced by their service as a cooperating teacher. / Ph. D.

Given the current state of public education reform and policy conversations, a fundamental component of effective teaching is left out of the dialogue: teacher identity. At present, few studies were found in the literature that focus specifically on the construction of the perceived teacher identity of secondary family and consumer sciences (FCS) teachers in career and technical education (CTE) classrooms. Thus, exploring teachers' experiences and perceptions of how their professional identities developed is important not only for FCS teachers, but for all educators because examining the beliefs held by teachers can improve practice by helping teachers respond to the changes in education. The first purpose of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the lived experiences of secondary FCS teachers in CTE classrooms as they relate to their beliefs about teaching. The second purpose was to further examine the meanings that these teachers make of these experiences and influences as they are connected to the construction of their perceived teaching identities. The researcher used a qualitative research design to examine the lived experiences of 10 FCS teachers. Guided by a theoretical framework of reflective practice, data were gathered using semi-structured participant interviews, researcher reflexive journal, and field notes. The findings are presented in narratives, one for each participant. Themes are identified within each narrative and common themes emerged across narratives. Among the results of the study were that beliefs about teaching are: reflective of the teacher, responsive to students' needs, and related to the teacher-student relationship. These beliefs were shaped by experiences in education, interactions with students, and significant life events. The reported teacher identity of the participants was described as serving as a role model, teaching FCS, caring, and being supportive. Distinct types of support are necessary to encourage teacher longevity and job satisfaction, both of which are constructs linked to teacher identity. A better understanding of how FCS teachers construct their sense of teacher identity offers new insight into job satisfaction, retention, professional development, and the improvement of practice. Recommendations for future research are suggested as part of the conclusions of this study. / Ph. D.

Many aspects of teaching involve the personal dimension of teaching and yet this dimension is often neglected and overlooked as we prepare teachers and sustain teachers in their work. The personal beliefs, attitudes and emotions of teachers often determine the decisions that teachers make in their classrooms. Increasingly, educational researchers have found that effective teachers are aware of this dimension. The aim of this study was to better understand how teachers' self perceptions and understandings of teaching evolve and change across their professional lives and what events contribute to these understandings. A series of in-depth individual interviews were conducted with six early career public education teachers who were also alumni of the graduate teacher education program at Virginia Tech. Interview data were supplemented with a review of artifacts from preservice teacher education program, visual representations of teacher identity development at various stages over the career of teaching and a timeline of significant events encountered during the teaching career. Results of this research suggest that teachers' understandings of the multiple complexities of teaching deepen within the first years of teaching; teaching is emotional work; and the context of teaching heavily influences teachers' practice of teaching regardless of their beliefs about teaching. Suggestions for university teacher education programs and local school districts are discussed. / Ph. D.

This dissertation presents findings from a qualitative discourse analysis study of three pre-service teachers enrolled in the Urban Teacher Residency Partnership Program (UTRPP); a clinical teacher preparation setting at a major southeastern university. UTRPP is a full-time teacher preparation program that focuses on university student achievement through embedded coursework and provides preservice teachers (PSTs) with the opportunity to work with a content coach. Through coaching cycles, these PSTs work one-on-one with a literacy content coaches to enrich their teaching experiences and connect theory to practice through content coaching cycles. A content coaching cycle consists of a pre-conference, video-recorded observation of a teaching event, individualized video coding sessions of that teaching video, and post-conference reflections (Gelfuso & Dennis, 2014). In this study, I focus specifically on the PSTs’ literacy content coaching experiences. The purposeful support and unique structure of UTRPP provide a rich opportunity to study literacy teacher identity construction since PSTs are contracted as full-time teacher residents in urban schools and work one on one with a literacy professional to develop their literacy practices through coaching cycles. This research was guided by the following research question: In what ways do three PSTs develop literacy teacher identity? Data was only collected during literacy coaching cycles where literacy was explicitly taught, and not during any other content area coaching cycle or subsequent lesson reflection that was not literacy based. The findings showed evidence of: (a) the plurality of identity, in that each participant drew on multiple identity characteristics when reflecting on their literacy practice, (b) connections between participants core sense-of-self and literacy teacher characteristics, (c) participants deployment of front and backstage dramaturgy to conceal their beliefs and feelings from the literacy coach and children, and (d) connections to student-centered teaching practices. These findings offer insights into how PSTs construct their literacy teacher identities in both a clinical preparation program and through literacy content coaching.

Undergraduate students who double major in music performance and music education often face issues with identity perception unlike those of their single-major counterparts. As they simultaneously develop both identities, double majors cope with additional challenges as they determine who they are and who they hope to become. Some easily adapt to both identities--incorporating values of both majors to create a well-rounded persona--while others struggle to find balance between the two identities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the early stages of performer-teacher identity by examining double majors in various stages of their programs of study who aspire to become a performer and music educator. Using individual and focus-group interviews and e-mail prompts, I investigated the experiences of five undergraduate students majoring in music education and music performance. Participants were asked to describe influences that led them to the double major. They were also asked to consider which of their majors they felt to be more prominent, and how they intended to utilize each major in their future. Participants also described qualities of ideal performers and teachers. They responded to questions regarding training received and perceptions of superiority and inferiority within the school of music. Six themes emerged from the analysis. I found that participants were enveloped in varying degrees of blended musician identity depending on the length of their experience. Participants had been socialized primarily by family and teachers, and secondarily by applied professors and practical experiences. They felt most like performers or teachers when involved in hands-on experiences, and those experiences that were considered in real-life situations were the most helpful in identity development. Participants expressed concerns regarding heavy workloads and their ability to develop adequate skills for success. I also discovered a tendency of participants to cater to the perceptions of those within their environment. Concern for the opinions of others often led to a superiority/inferiority conflict between performance majors and music education majors both within and across applied studios. Implications for music school faculty and music students are included.