A discourse analysis of trainee teacher identity in online discussion forums

Abstract

Teacher education involves an identity transformation for trainees from being a student to being a teacher. This discourse analysis examined the online discussion board communications of a cohort of trainee teachers to better understand the situated identities of the trainees and how they were presented online. Their discussion board posts were the primary method of communication during placement periods and, as such, provided insight into how the trainees situated their identities in terms of being a student or being a teacher.During the analysis, the community boundaries, language and culture were explored along with the tutor"s power and role in the identity transformation process. This involved looking at the lexis used by the students, the use of pronouns to refer to themselves and others such as teachers and pupils, the types of messages allowed in the community and the effect of the tutor"s messages on their communication. The research found that the trainees felt comfortable with teaching but did not feel like teachers during the course. Tutors and school teachers need to develop an awareness of the dual nature of trainees" identities and help promote the transition from student to teacher. In the beginning of the course trainees should be familiarised with teacher vocabulary and practical concepts in addition to pedagogical theory. Towards the end of the course, trainee identity as teachers could be promoted through the use of authentic assessments that mirror real teacher tasks and requirements.

Socio-emotional connections: identity, belonging and learning in online interactions. A literature review

“…Using Bourdieu's approach to explain the cultural capital held by an academic psychology degree, Perrotta found participants with these credentials saw a responsibility to protect what they perceived to be the common identity of 'psychologist', using the power of their cultural capital to diminish the authority of those without the same credentials. Similarly Irwin and Hramiak (2010) found evidence of 'them and us' identities in the online contributions of trainee teachers during their practicum. Discourse analysis of personal pronoun use indicated the vacillations between novice and professional identities, between feeling like an outsider or an insider in the teaching community.…”

“…How an online instructor reacts is possibly more crucial than their level of involvement in the discussions (Ke et al, 2011), impacting on socio-emotional well-being perhaps more so than in face-to-face situations. Expression of identity from students is more likely when instructors value contributions drawn from personal experience by rewarding or highlighting meaningful posts; when the tutor probes for elaboration that allows students to incorporate their identities into the learning; and where instructors share from their own personal perspective rather than always displaying their academic identity (Irwin & Hramiak, 2010;Ke et al, 2011). This not only brings a sense of reality to the virtual tutor, but also models appropriate identity discourse in learning, which Richards (2006) sums up nicely in the following:…”

“…But rather than sidelining the issue of incongruent identities by assigning 'trouble-maker' to these students or accepting this as an inevitability in online learning, Hughes (2007) extends a challenge to the community, which she claims has some responsibility for finding ways to embrace the diversity displayed by others. This must also be a tutor priority (Irwin & Hramiak, 2010). Hughes (2007) makes the suggestion that rather than expect the habitual latecomer to conform to the status quo, that the community change their posting behaviours to accommodate their non-conforming peer.…”

Performance, structure and ideal identity: Reconceptualising teachers' engagement in online social spaces

“…This is reflected in the significant investment by educational publishers and resource providers in the social aspects of their websites (Robson, ) and in the discourses emerging from the teaching profession emphasising the benefits of professional online networking (Bloom, ; McKain, ). However, thus far, much of the academic literature discussing teachers' online peer‐to‐peer interaction has tended to focus either on the “potential” of online social spaces for professional development (Carr & Chambers, ; Karagiorgi & Lymbouridou, ; Selwyn, ) or teachers' engagement in closed spaces linked with formal training programmes (Comas‐Quinn, ; Delahunty, ; Georgiou, Kyza, & Ioannou, ; Irwin & Hramiak, ). This no doubt reflects the limited number of teachers engaging in online social spaces prior to the explosion of online social media (Duncan‐Howell, ; Selwyn, ).…”

Conflict of Philosophies of Education in Public vs. Private School Discourses: An Investigation of English Language Teachers' Teacher-room Talk in Iranian Context

“…Only some pronouns as linguistic features and social dominant discourse models manifested in teachers' talks and interviews in two countries were analyzed and discussed in this study. Irwin and Hramiak (2010) in an investigation of trainee teacher identity in online discussion forums state that teacher education involves an identity transformation for trainees from being a student to being a teacher. This study examined the online discussion board communications of a cohort of trainee teachers to better understand the situated identities of the trainees and how they were presented online.…”