The main purpose of this thesis is to deepen the current understanding of how the teacher self is constructed. Specifically, the study intends to integrate into this understanding the way in which language personal, professional, and student teacher identities inform this process. A special emphasis is placed on the role that language teachers’ life histories play on the construction of teacher selves. Narrative research constitutes the research design for this thesis project since I strongly believe that selves are narratively constructed through stories. This study is focused on the storied self (Chase, 2005) that is co-constructed between the researcher and narrator that reveals how personal, professional, and student teacher identities resist and interact with discursive environments in order to create and recreate a language teacher’s self. Life histories constitute the source of data collection in this study. This facilitated the construction of a broader understanding of how six language teachers’ personal, professional, and student teacher identities are shaped throughout a lifetime and the way these impact the formation of the teacher self. The results suggest that language teachers’ selves are in close relation to emotions. Language teachers negotiate their identities and emotions in order to make sense of the different sets of values that the social context presents to them. This in turn leads them to create/recreate their own teacher selves that serve as sources of agency that generates new sets of social/moral rules or stagnation that leads to the preservation of the current status quo. The thesis concludes by providing a series of suggestions tailored to the needs of the teaching context where this research took place with the purpose of fostering a continuous engagement with individual actors and socio-cultural factors that motivate transformation through reflection.

A Study On The Relationship Among Teachers' Professional Identity¡BSelf-Efficacy And Job Satisfaction In Junior High Schoo In Kaohsiung City Abstract This research is mainly study on the present relationship among teachers' professional identity, self-efficacy and job satisfaction in Junior High School in Kaohsiung City. This study try to investigate how the different backgrounds as variebles will affect the relationship that this research focus on junior high school teachers, and find out the differences those variebles will cause . Also, the research aims to make an analysis about using Junior High School teachers' professional identity and self-efficacy to predict their job satisfaction . The research use questionnaire survey. We use Teachers' Professional Identity, Self-efficacy and Job Satisfaction Questionnaire in Junior High School in Kaohsiung City as our research tool. Subjects were sampled from 78 Junior High Schools in Kaohsiung city and 5846 teachers by using random sampling. The collected date were analyzed by using statistical computer software SPSS version 17.0. The main findings are as following: 1. The whole performace of teachers' professional identity in Junior High School in Kaohsiung city was middle-high level. Among the sectional scores,the dimension of " the job invlovement " was the highest. 2. The whole performace of teachers' self-efficacy in Junior High School in Kaohsiung City was middle-high level. Among the sectional scores, the dimension of "normal educational efficacy " was the highest. 3.The whole performace of teachers' job satisfaction in Junior High School in Kaohsiung city was pretty well. Among the sectional scores, the dimension of "salary and welfare" was the highest. 4. There were positive relationship among teachers' professional identity, self-efficacy and job satisfaction in Junior High School in Kaohsiung City. 5. Teachers' professional identity could predict the job satisfaction. In front of all factors, the value of concept could predict most. There are some researcher¡¦s suggestions as to provide a reference for educational institutes, teacher-training organizations, administrative units of school and teachers in junior high schools and the further research plans.

Este trabalho é um estudo de caso que analisa os processos envolvidos na constituição da identidade profissional de professores de música que lecionam na educação básica. Toma-se a cidade de Itupeva como local do estudo porque a disciplina de música integra a grade curricular de sua rede de ensino e, portanto, seu professores efetivos são licenciados em música. O estudo se desenvolve a partir de pesquisa de campo e entrevistas semiestruturadas com 13 professores de escolas públicas municipais em Itupeva. Inicialmente, discutem-se os conceitos de identidade e identidade profissional com base nas contribuições de Dubar (1997, 2009), Bauman (2005), Ciampa (2001), Tadeu Silva (2014) e Hall (2006, 2014). Em particular, a abordagem da identidade profissional docente fundamenta-se em Maria de Lourdes Ramos da Silva (2007, 2008, 2009), Pimenta (1997), Nóvoa (1991, 2007), Tardif (2002) e Penin (2009). Considerada em seu caráter processual, plural e transitório, a identidade profissional envolve a noção de igualdade e diferença, a trajetória biográfica do sujeito, suas relações no contexto de trabalho, o uso de identificações na reivindicação e atribuição de identidades e a atividade profissional do professor de música. Vista de uma perspectiva processual, ou seja, em constante transformação, a identidade implica também a perspectiva sócio-histórica (BOCK; GONÇALVES; FURTADO, 2001), que norteia este trabalho. Assim, discute-se como a trajetória do ensino de música no Brasil influencia a constituição da identidade do professor de música no contexto atual. Pela análise de conteúdo (BARDIN, 2011), os dados são classificados em três categorias principais: trajetória de vida e formação acadêmica; ações e saberes do professor de música; e contextos de atuação e perspectivas profissionais. Nesses termos, identificaram-se aspectos representativos do processo de constituição identitária dos professores de música, entre eles, o acesso ao ensino de música na infância, a influência do ensino superior na construção de saberes pedagógico-musicais, as relações estabelecidas com a equipe escolar e com os demais professores de música, o modo como definem sua profissão e as práticas pedagógicas desses professores em sala de aula. / The present case study analyzes the processes involved in shaping the professional identity of K-12 music teachers. The city of Itupeva was selected as the study site since music is part of its basic education curriculum and, therefore, all tenured music teachers have an undergraduate degree in music education. The study is based on field research and semi-structured interviews with 13 teachers from Itupeva municipal schools. First, the concepts of identity and professional identity shall be discussed in light of contributions by Dubar (1997, 2009), Bauman (2005), Ciampa (2001), Tadeu Silva (2014), and Hall (2006, 2014). The view on teachers professional identity, in particular, comes from Maria de Lourdes Ramos da Silva (2007, 2008, 2009), Pimenta (1997), Nóvoa (1991, 2007), Tardif (2002), and Penin (2009). Considering its processual, plural and transient nature, a subjects professional identity involves the notion of equality and difference, their life story, relationships in the workplace, the use of identifications in claiming and giving others an identity, as well as their professional activity. From a processual, i.e. ever-changing, perspective, identity also encompasses a social and historical perspective (BOCK; GONÇALVES; FURTADO, 2001), which guides this study. Then, we shall see how the history of music education in Brazil influences the shaping of music teachers identity today. By using content analysis (BARDIN, 2011), the data shall be classified into three major categories: life story and academic background; music teachers actions and knowledge; and professional context and prospects. With that in mind, representative aspects of music teachers process of identity formation shall be identified; among them: access to music classes as a child, the influence of higher education on building their musical and pedagogical framework, relationships established with the school staff in general and more specifically with other music teachers, the way they define their profession, and their pedagogical practices in the classroom.

Este trabalho é um estudo de caso que analisa os processos envolvidos na constituição da identidade profissional de professores de música que lecionam na educação básica. Toma-se a cidade de Itupeva como local do estudo porque a disciplina de música integra a grade curricular de sua rede de ensino e, portanto, seu professores efetivos são licenciados em música. O estudo se desenvolve a partir de pesquisa de campo e entrevistas semiestruturadas com 13 professores de escolas públicas municipais em Itupeva. Inicialmente, discutem-se os conceitos de identidade e identidade profissional com base nas contribuições de Dubar (1997, 2009), Bauman (2005), Ciampa (2001), Tadeu Silva (2014) e Hall (2006, 2014). Em particular, a abordagem da identidade profissional docente fundamenta-se em Maria de Lourdes Ramos da Silva (2007, 2008, 2009), Pimenta (1997), Nóvoa (1991, 2007), Tardif (2002) e Penin (2009). Considerada em seu caráter processual, plural e transitório, a identidade profissional envolve a noção de igualdade e diferença, a trajetória biográfica do sujeito, suas relações no contexto de trabalho, o uso de identificações na reivindicação e atribuição de identidades e a atividade profissional do professor de música. Vista de uma perspectiva processual, ou seja, em constante transformação, a identidade implica também a perspectiva sócio-histórica (BOCK; GONÇALVES; FURTADO, 2001), que norteia este trabalho. Assim, discute-se como a trajetória do ensino de música no Brasil influencia a constituição da identidade do professor de música no contexto atual. Pela análise de conteúdo (BARDIN, 2011), os dados são classificados em três categorias principais: trajetória de vida e formação acadêmica; ações e saberes do professor de música; e contextos de atuação e perspectivas profissionais. Nesses termos, identificaram-se aspectos representativos do processo de constituição identitária dos professores de música, entre eles, o acesso ao ensino de música na infância, a influência do ensino superior na construção de saberes pedagógico-musicais, as relações estabelecidas com a equipe escolar e com os demais professores de música, o modo como definem sua profissão e as práticas pedagógicas desses professores em sala de aula. / The present case study analyzes the processes involved in shaping the professional identity of K-12 music teachers. The city of Itupeva was selected as the study site since music is part of its basic education curriculum and, therefore, all tenured music teachers have an undergraduate degree in music education. The study is based on field research and semi-structured interviews with 13 teachers from Itupeva municipal schools. First, the concepts of identity and professional identity shall be discussed in light of contributions by Dubar (1997, 2009), Bauman (2005), Ciampa (2001), Tadeu Silva (2014), and Hall (2006, 2014). The view on teachers professional identity, in particular, comes from Maria de Lourdes Ramos da Silva (2007, 2008, 2009), Pimenta (1997), Nóvoa (1991, 2007), Tardif (2002), and Penin (2009). Considering its processual, plural and transient nature, a subjects professional identity involves the notion of equality and difference, their life story, relationships in the workplace, the use of identifications in claiming and giving others an identity, as well as their professional activity. From a processual, i.e. ever-changing, perspective, identity also encompasses a social and historical perspective (BOCK; GONÇALVES; FURTADO, 2001), which guides this study. Then, we shall see how the history of music education in Brazil influences the shaping of music teachers identity today. By using content analysis (BARDIN, 2011), the data shall be classified into three major categories: life story and academic background; music teachers actions and knowledge; and professional context and prospects. With that in mind, representative aspects of music teachers process of identity formation shall be identified; among them: access to music classes as a child, the influence of higher education on building their musical and pedagogical framework, relationships established with the school staff in general and more specifically with other music teachers, the way they define their profession, and their pedagogical practices in the classroom.

Although each of the life stories and cases of teachers are personal and specific, and although they have already become subjects of attention for anthropologists, educationalists, sociologists and psychologists, there is still a lack of in-depth research examining the actual processes and dynamics of teaching careers as experienced by individuals. This is especially true of China. The actual situation of teachers’ professional development in China remains a mystery. Since biography, the changes in society and their impact on education are intimately connected, this study intends to uncover and explore these connections in relation to Chinese College English teachers. It discusses and studies eight Chinese College English teachers’ professional development stories in the specific context of one university. The main aim of the study is to reveal how those teachers in a Chinese context and at different stages of their careers, construct, maintain and develop their professional identities. The study explores, in particular, how far China’s educational changes over the past sixty years (1949-2009) have impacted on these three groups of Chinese College English teachers’ professional identities. The focus on teachers’ lives in this study will enable the teachers’ voice to be heard. The study draws data from three groups of Chinese College English teachers: early-career, mid-career and late-career, reflecting the footprints of China’s educational changes over the past sixty years. It hypothesises that the professional identity construction of these teachers may be influenced by the Chinese historical background that their professional development may be a microcosm of Chinese history of education and that the career of each group may be in stark contrast with the others. To fully understand their professional development, a life history narrative was adopted. During eight-week’s fieldwork, a series of in-depth interviews combining topical interview with narrative interview were carried out with eight College English teachers at Sun Yat-sen University. A voice-centred approach combining (i) a voice-centred relational method of data analysis with four steps of reading and (ii) thematic narrative analysis was undertaken. Drawing on stories identified from Reading 1 and combining it with thematic narrative analysis method, I looked for what I think to be ‘critical events’. In Chapter 4, teachers’ stories are told in ‘I’ poems generated from Reading 2, which combines longer summaries of the content of the transcript and direct quotes to illustrate diverse and sometimes conflicting factors which influenced the development of teacher identity along with the participants’ professional teaching journeys. The narratives of each individual are guided by the processes they went through in their professional development (becoming a teacher - being a teacher - future development) and therefore were able to illustrate any general patterns that could be found in other interviews. Participating teachers’ stories illustrate the complexity of the experiences of Chinese College English teachers. Their experiences have shown the dynamic nature of teachers’ professional identity construction in times of educational changes. Their stories illustrate how the broader sociocultural and political context shapes teachers’ professional identity and how teachers play out their agency throughout the process of their professional identity construction. Based on roles emerging from Reading 2 which focuses on how the teachers speak about themselves and combining it with thematic narrative analysis, teachers’ professional identity construction is examined through the lens of what they do (their professional role identities) in Chapter 5. The findings show that no matter which career stages they were at, they are all capable of taking on the roles of manager, professional, acculturator and researcher. The construction of role identities is a self-internalised process, which needs continuous negotiation through interactions in specific social settings. In Chapter 6 teachers’ professional identity construction of the relational context of teaching was explored by combining thematic narrative analysis with Reading 3 which focuses on how teachers talked about themselves in relation to others. From the difference between teachers at different career stages, the findings reveal the teachers’ professional identity construction is a process of self-mirroring based on their understanding of how others (especially students and colleagues) perceive them. Moreover, there are two steps of the self-mirroring process: the individual recognises who she or he is and the individual identifies her or his uniqueness. Since the second step only showed in the mid and late-career teachers’ stories, the first and second step appears to be in a sequence. The connection between the teachers’ professional identity construction and the context was investigated in Chapter 7. In this chapter thematic narrative analysis is combined with Reading 4 which sets the context by placing the teachers within the cultural context and social structure. Analysis showed the teachers’ sense of professional identity appears to be largely characterised by their personal histories and experiences and it is constantly reshaped by the new relationships developed within the professional context where the initial conception of teaching and teachers confronts changes. Throughout the participating teachers’ life stories, even though they were unique, they were not disengaged from society and context. On more than one occasion, they made reference to different social and contextual issues that were shaping their selves either consciously or unconsciously. Additionally, when the narratives of all participating teachers are brought together they reveal important aspects of how the broader community - society and context - behaves and evolves. The contextual influences in teachers’ professional identity construction in this study could be classified in three main categories: micro-social, meso-social and macrosocial, which are interwoven with each other. Furthermore, the study provides the evidence to show that teachers’ career stages, employment status and life stage/age all contribute to their perceptions of their professional identity construction. Through each teacher’s stories, we are able to get to know each teacher as a whole person with complex lived realities. Those individual voices can be put together to show the collective voices from each group and those groups can be put together to show the collective voices from the cohort of eight College English teachers. The research is significant in collecting individual voices from Chinese College English teachers, and building their collective voice through exemplification, orchestration and amplification. Individual stories are examples which show how teachers live and struggle in their meso context with cultural uniqueness and the macro context of reforms. The hypothesis (see page iii) was not fully upheld – i.e., personal/individual and meso context seemed much more significant than macro. Teachers’ experiences and interpretations are orchestrated through comparing, contrasting and building theory/theories from the ground stories as an attempt to produce a new but coherent narrative at an intellectual level. The orchestration of teachers’ voices can be amplified in terms of its scope of impact and to inform the public of the subjective reality experienced by teachers. This small-scale, in-depth research project attempts to begin that process. It is anticipated that it will resonate with teachers who lived under the same context, and illuminate their perspectives for those who did not.

Cette recherche qualitative, conduite dans un cadre épistémologique socioconstructiviste, a pour objectif d’explorer la construction des identités professionnelles de jeunes professeurs des écoles issus des immigrations. Les données de l’enquête ont été recueillies à l’aide d’entretiens semi-directifs auprès d’une population de 20 professeurs des écoles de la région Aquitaine âgés de 30 à 35 ans (10 issus des immigrations – 10 d’ « origine française »). Une analyse de contenu thématique du verbatim des entretiens a ensuite été réalisée. Des comparaisons entre les 2 groupes ont mis au jour des points communs et des différences au niveau : de l’éducation familiale reçue, des valeurs, du rapport à la religion, du choix du métier (désirabilité relative), des représentations et postures professionnelles. L’analyse du discours des enseignants issus des immigrations a révélé l’apport primordial des relations interpersonnelles dans la construction de leur Soi professionnel : c’est dans les interactions et dialogues avec les autrui significatifs de leurs contextes de vie (notamment familial et scolaire) que ces sujets se sont orientés, ont élaboré et concrétisé leur projet professionnel. Si en tant que descendants de parents immigrants, ils ont à relever des défis spécifiques (se construire dans une identité biculturelle, faire face à la discrimination, etc.), la diversité de leurs parcours d’intégration psychosociale et de leurs processus de personnalisation se manifeste par la construction d’identités professionnelles plurielles. Celles-ci se traduisent notamment par 2 manières d’être au métier : s’investir d’une mission professionnelle interculturelle en jouant un rôle de médiateur auprès d’élèves issus de familles défavorisées et/ou immigrées ; ne mettre en œuvre aucune pratique volontariste. / This study, conducted from a socioconstructivist framework, used qualitative methodology to explore the construction of minority teachers’ professional identity. Data collection consisted of in-depth semi-structured interviews with 20 primary school teachers aged from 30 to 35 years old (10 descendants of immigrants – 10 of French origin). The verbatim was analyzed using content analysis methodology. Comparisons between the 2 groups have shown differences and similarities in their: familial education, values, relationship to religion, career choice, professional representations. The analysis of minority teachers’ interviews has revealed the primordial contributions of interpersonal relationships in the construction of their professional Self (with significant others from family and school contexts, in particular). As descendants of immigrants they have faced specific challenges (face racism and discrimination, build an ethnic identity, etc.), the diversity of their psychosocial integration paths occurs in the construction of contrasted professional identities. Some of them are motivated by a desire of social justice, the goal of creating a bridge between mainstream culture and minority cultures becoming a career mission. Others, don’t do anything in particular for disadvantaged pupils or for those belonging to ethnic minorities.

Cette recherche qualitative, conduite dans un cadre épistémologique socioconstructiviste, a pour objectif d’explorer la construction des identités professionnelles de jeunes professeurs des écoles issus des immigrations. Les données de l’enquête ont été recueillies à l’aide d’entretiens semi-directifs auprès d’une population de 20 professeurs des écoles de la région Aquitaine âgés de 30 à 35 ans (10 issus des immigrations – 10 d’ « origine française »). Une analyse de contenu thématique du verbatim des entretiens a ensuite été réalisée. Des comparaisons entre les 2 groupes ont mis au jour des points communs et des différences au niveau : de l’éducation familiale reçue, des valeurs, du rapport à la religion, du choix du métier (désirabilité relative), des représentations et postures professionnelles. L’analyse du discours des enseignants issus des immigrations a révélé l’apport primordial des relations interpersonnelles dans la construction de leur Soi professionnel : c’est dans les interactions et dialogues avec les autrui significatifs de leurs contextes de vie (notamment familial et scolaire) que ces sujets se sont orientés, ont élaboré et concrétisé leur projet professionnel. Si en tant que descendants de parents immigrants, ils ont à relever des défis spécifiques (se construire dans une identité biculturelle, faire face à la discrimination, etc.), la diversité de leurs parcours d’intégration psychosociale et de leurs processus de personnalisation se manifeste par la construction d’identités professionnelles plurielles. Celles-ci se traduisent notamment par 2 manières d’être au métier : s’investir d’une mission professionnelle interculturelle en jouant un rôle de médiateur auprès d’élèves issus de familles défavorisées et/ou immigrées ; ne mettre en œuvre aucune pratique volontariste. / This study, conducted from a socioconstructivist framework, used qualitative methodology to explore the construction of minority teachers’ professional identity. Data collection consisted of in-depth semi-structured interviews with 20 primary school teachers aged from 30 to 35 years old (10 descendants of immigrants – 10 of French origin). The verbatim was analyzed using content analysis methodology. Comparisons between the 2 groups have shown differences and similarities in their: familial education, values, relationship to religion, career choice, professional representations. The analysis of minority teachers’ interviews has revealed the primordial contributions of interpersonal relationships in the construction of their professional Self (with significant others from family and school contexts, in particular). As descendants of immigrants they have faced specific challenges (face racism and discrimination, build an ethnic identity, etc.), the diversity of their psychosocial integration paths occurs in the construction of contrasted professional identities. Some of them are motivated by a desire of social justice, the goal of creating a bridge between mainstream culture and minority cultures becoming a career mission. Others, don’t do anything in particular for disadvantaged pupils or for those belonging to ethnic minorities.

Thesis (Ph.D. Education (Curriculum Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / The genesis of this study was the lack of comprehensive teacher socialisation programmes for Zimbabwean immigrant teachers in public schools in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. To better understand the theoretical foundations of teacher socialisation as the phenomenon under review, the principles of expanded Activity Theory (AT) (Engeström, 1987) fused with elements of the theory of Symbolic Interactionism (SI) were used as a conceptual framework to ground and structure the study. The study sought to answer the following main research question: How are Zimbabwean immigrant teachers socialised in their host schools amid the inadequacy of existing teacher socialisation programmes for new teachers in public schools? The study followed the qualitative approach to research, based on the interpretive paradigm executed through a multiple instrumental case study design in two public secondary schools in the Sekhukhune South District of the Limpopo Province. The researcher used purposeful sampling so select five participants and two schools, which provided answers to the research questions posed. The study reveals that the teacher socialisation programmes offered in public schools are inadequate and not tailored according to the real needs of Zimbabwean immigrant teachers. The situation is entrenched by the lack of shared understanding amongst principals about the structure and implementation of an effective teacher socialisation programme, especially for immigrants. The study further revealed that Zimbabwean immigrant teachers, owing to their temporary job status, feel only partly valued and appreciated in the South African schooling system. This was evident in their perception that the employment policies for immigrants had been tightened to ensure that they do not attain any permanent employment. In addition, the study revealed that owing to the uncertainty of their job status in schools, Zimbabwean immigrant teachers prefer private schools as their employment of choice rather than public schools. Lastly, the study generally reveals that the challenges Zimbabwean immigrant teachers experience with their socialisation are more systemic than in their host schools.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-27T16:32:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Tatiana Pereira de Freitas.pdf: 1094385 bytes, checksum: 01cdb835a03e52a037cc319c5270f482 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-03-29 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This research aims to analyze the processes that Physical Education teachers use in order to integrate their knowledges and act autonomously considering the Curricular Proposal of the state of São Paulo for the Physical Education subject. We aim to focus on the autonomy of the subject teachers from the perspectives of the study of the epistemology of the teaching practice and professional identity. The choice of the teacher s autonomy theme has emerged from the observation of the impact of the Curricular Proposal of the state of São Paulo, in 2008, on the school routine and the difficulties faced by the teachers concerning the learning situations elucidated in the proposal, as well as the strategies to be used. The research is oriented by the hypothesis that the teachers autonomy is connected to a continuous reconstruction of their professional identity and the processes they use in order to integrate their knowledges to the requirements of the curricular proposal. We adopt as theoretical reference the studies of Dubar, Contreras and Tardif in order to conceptualize and contextualize autonomy, identity and the teachers professional knowledges, as a fundamental part of the teachers formation, development and performance process. To collect the data a previous study was accomplished in order to define the research subjects: 06 physical education teachers and 03 pedagogic coordinators from 03 different state public primary schools in Itapevi-SP who answered semi-structured interviews, previously tested. Besides the interviews, the research included documental analysis of the curricular proposal. The data obtained were presented in synthesis tables and analyzed concerning the concepts of teachers formation, autonomy, identity and professional knowledges. The results allow us to affirm that: the proposal restricts the Physical Education teachers autonomy concerning the elaboration and planning of their lessons, however, at the same time, it has promoted movements towards new knowledges about the taught subject. The situation of the imposition and requirements of the proposal in which the teachers affirm they are exposed to has resulted in processes of adaptation of the proposal and changes in the pedagogic practice. The autonomy the teachers reveal concerning the proposal depends, on the one hand, on their personal path and professional formation and, on the other hand, on the objective conditions of the pedagogic practice, which are linked to their professional identity. The teachers joined the proposal as a consequence of the valorization of the Physical Education by the different subjects of the school community, after its implementation. The teachers pedagogic practices were, in an extent, changed by the proposal, because they re considered necessary to the proposition of new principles to their work, but kept marked by traditional conceptions of the Physical Education and the preference for the field of sports training, which still remains with the requirements of the new proposal, influencing their teaching practice / Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo analisar os mecanismos que professores de Educação Física utilizam para integrar seus saberes e atuar com autonomia diante da Proposta Curricular para a Educação Física do Estado de São Paulo. Trata-se de focalizar a autonomia dos professores pesquisados a partir das perspectivas de estudo da epistemologia da prática docente e identidade profissional. A escolha do tema autonomia do professor surge da observação do impacto da Proposta Curricular do Estado de São Paulo, de 2008, no cotidiano escolar e das dificuldades encontradas pelos professores em relação às situações de aprendizagem explanadas na proposta, assim como em relação às estratégias a serem utilizadas. Norteia a pesquisa a hipótese de que a autonomia dos professores está ligada a uma contínua reconstrução de sua identidade profissional e dos mecanismos que utiliza para integrar seus saberes às demandas provenientes da proposta curricular. A pesquisa adota como referencial teórico os estudos de Dubar, Contreras e Tardif para conceituar e contextualizar autonomia, identidade e saberes profissionais docentes, como parte integrante do processo de formação, desenvolvimento e desempenho profissional dos professores. Para a coleta dos dados realizou-se um estudo preliminar para definição dos sujeitos de pesquisa. A pesquisa foi realizada com 06 professores de Educação Física e 03 coordenadores pedagógicos de 03 diferentes escolas públicas estaduais de ensino fundamental II do município de Itapevi-SP, com os quais foram realizadas entrevistas semi-estruturadas, com auxílio de Roteiro construído e testado com essa finalidade específica. Além disso, a pesquisa incluiu também análise documental da Proposta Curricular. Os dados obtidos são apresentados em Quadros-síntese e analisados com o auxílio dos conceitos de formação, autonomia, identidade e saberes profissionais docentes. Os resultados permitem afirmar que: a proposta limita a autonomia dos professores de Educação Física no que se refere à elaboração e planejamento de suas aulas, mas, ao mesmo tempo, tem desencadeado movimentos de busca de novos conhecimentos sobre a disciplina. A situação de imposição e de cobranças a que os professores afirmam estar sujeitos em relação à proposta tem resultado em mecanismos de adaptações da proposta e mudanças na prática pedagógica A autonomia que os professores manifestam diante da proposta depende, de um lado, de seu percurso pessoal e formação profissional e, de outro, das condições objetivas de exercício da prática pedagógica, aos quais está ligada sua identidade profissional. Os professores aderiram à proposta em decorrência da valorização da Educação Física pelos diferentes atores da comunidade escolar, após sua implantação. As práticas pedagógicas dos professores foram, em parte, transformadas pela proposta, pois também a consideram necessária para a proposição de novos princípios para o seu trabalho, mas continuam marcadas por concepções tradicionais da Educação Física e preferência pela área de treinamento esportivo, que ainda permanecem, ao lado das exigências da nova proposta, influenciando sua prática docente