“Coming Into My Own as a Teacher”: Identity, Disequilibrium, and the First Year of Teaching

Cook, Jack

doi:10.1080/1547688x.2009.10399580

Cited by 40 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…As Williams (2002) observes, "encouraging early-career teachers to become aware of their non-formal and unplanned learning is likely to be as important as ensuring that formal learning needs are met'' (p. 10). Accordingly, this study supports other research (Beauchamp & Thomas, 2009;Cattley, 2007;Cook, 2009;Delamarter, 2015;Johnson et al, 2015;Olsen, 2008;Ruohotie-Lyhty, 2013;Sutherland & Markauskaite, 2012;Tait, 2008) in suggesting that teacher education has a crucial role to play in encouraging preservice teachers to identify and confront their initial expectations of themselves as teachers.…”

Section: Significance and Scope Of Studysupporting

confidence: 88%

“…Central to the present study is the significant volume of research indicating that early-career teachers have unrealistic expectations of themselves as teachers, and that there are significant consequences for individuals who struggle to reconcile their beliefs about what is desirable, and what is in fact possible, within the time and institutional limitations of teaching (Cook, 2009;Delamarter, 2015;Kyriacou & Kunc, 2007;Pillen et al, 2013c;Ruohotie-Lyhty, 2013;Trent, 2016;Wilson & Deaney, 2010). Nevertheless, early-career teachers often feel dissatisfied, frustrated and disillusioned in compromising their initial expectations of themselves as teachers, impacting upon teacher quality and attrition (Flores & Day, 2006;Gallant & Riley, 2014;Gaudelli & Ousley, 2009;Pillen et al, 2013c;Ruohotie-Lyhty, 2013;Trent, 2016).…”

Section: Purpose Of the Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Delamarter (2015), in a similar way, refers to a professional identity "crisis" (p. 3) occurring when teachers realise their idealistic expectations of themselves do not align with reality. Cook's (2009) Trent's (2016) research describes the characteristics of early-career teachers' preferred and available teacher identities, with the preferred characteristics being highly idealistic and often not grounded in the practical realities of the profession. Hamman et al (2010) and Kumazawa (2013) both explored the phenomenon through the lens of possible-selves theory.…”

Section: Personal Expectations: Expectations Of Self As Teachermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Similarly, in an often-cited study of the development of teachers' perspectives, Ross (1987) draws attention to the notion that many earlycareer teachers have an idealised image of the teacher they want to become, based on the selection of particular characteristics of their own prior teachers. Similarly, Cook's (2009) study, involving interviews with 10 first-year teachers, revealed that every teacher still used elements of their own teachers' approaches as a reference point or benchmark for their own successful performance. However, this research also suggests that early-career teachers often 'pick and choose' ideal qualities from their teachers in forming expectations of themselves in the role, with Cook noting that a "patchwork of iconic teachers" (p. 280) have a significant impact on how new teachers envisage their own practice.…”

Section: Adjusting Early-career Teacher Expectationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Adjusting Personal Expectations: An Analysis of Early-Career Teacher Narratives

Constantine¹

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iii AbstractThe early years of a teacher's career are often a site of tension, where long-standing beliefs about what it is to be a teacher are challenged. The images and ideals that teachers have of themselves -their "personal expectations" (Cole & Knowles, 1993) -have recognised implications for the development of a teacher's professional identity. Early-career teachers often confront a disparity between their personal expectations, and what they find to be realistic to achieve in practice. Understanding how early-career teachers adjust their personal expectations, whilst at the same time maintaining their commitment to the profession, is at the core of this narrative study.This study of four early-career teachers in Queensland seeks to address the following research questions: (1) how do teachers adjust their personal expectations during the early-career years? and (2) This study drew upon semi-structured interviews (Schuman, 1982;Seidman, 2013) in the data collection phase. Not only did the research method allow for depth in the responses, but also allowed for participants to engage in a process of ongoing reflection and engagement in the construction of the narrative. The analysis was guided by the narrative approach detailed by Clandinin and Connelly (2000), andConnelly and Clandinin (2006). The findings of the study are presented as narratives:individual, idiosyncratic stories of teachers' lives, experiences and expectations. Abstract ivThe findings of this study suggest that early-career teachers adjust their personal expectations gradually and with difficulty, and only through reflecting and acting upon their own professional experimentation. Importantly, the findings demonstrate that whilst feedback, collegial relationships and trial-and-error practices are critical for early-career teachers to develop more realistic expectations of themselves, retaining some aspects of their initial expectations allows them to maintain their ideological vision of themselves in a teaching role. This study provides considerable insight into the ways that teachers can be better prepared for their first years in the profession, and, as such, has implications for early-career teachers, school administrators, policymakers, and for universities. The findings suggest that encouraging early-career teachers to confront unrealistic personal expectations is critical in empowering them to shape strong professional identities.Abstract v

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Section: Significance and Scope Of Studysupporting

confidence: 88%

Section: Purpose Of the Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Personal Expectations: Expectations Of Self As Teachermentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Adjusting Early-career Teacher Expectationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Adjusting Personal Expectations: An Analysis of Early-Career Teacher Narratives

Constantine¹

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“…Carney & Chedzoy, 1998;Virta, 2002;Guyver & Nichol, 2004;Morgan & Hansen, 2008;Cook, 2009), including memories of geography. For example, McPartland (1996) discovered different types of memories related to experiences of learning geography in school and recorded them as subject-, teacher-or self-oriented memories.…”

Section: Pre-service Teachers' Memories Of Their Time At Schoolmentioning

confidence: 99%

The nature of the relation between pre-service teachers’ views of an ideal teacher and their positive memories of biology and geography teachers

Pellikka

Lutovac

Kaasila

2018

NorDiNa

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Literature acknowledges that pre-service teachers' memories of their past might influence how they see their future as teachers, and thus on the construction of their teacher identity. However, we know little about the nature of the relation between pre-service teachers' views of the ideal teacher and their memories of their own school teachers, particularly regarding specific subject disciplines, such as biology and geography. This study addresses the significance of this relation. Narratives from three pre-service elementary teachers reveal that positive memories of biology and geography teachers and future-oriented reflection connect their past and the ideal teacher. The findings suggest that just one positive memory can have far-reaching significance. In addition, their views of the ideal teacher were found not to be subject-specific. Finally, suggestions for teacher education are presented. Raimo Kaasila (PhD) is a professor of teacher education in the Faculty of Education, University of Oulu. His main research areas are pre-service teachers' beliefs and identity formation during teacher education, as well as affective domain and the use of narrative and rhetorical methods in teacher and mathematics education. ANNE PELLIKKA

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Understanding teacher identity in teachers' professional lives: A systematic review of the literature

Rushton,

Rawlings Smith,

Steadman

et al. 2023

Review of Education

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This article presents a systematic review of a substantial body of literature that considers the ways in which the concept of teacher identity has been used to understand and explore teachers' professional lives. The aim of the review was to go beyond the limitations of specific areas of teachers' practice to explore the broad and rich field of teachers' professional lives. Drawing on 412 articles from 2000–2021, the review demonstrates the growth in teacher identity research, particularly since 2010. Results from the review are categorised into seven thematic groups that span key areas related to teachers' professional lives: (1) Models and frameworks of professional lives; (2) Narratives of professional lives; (3) Becoming a teacher; (4) Contexts; (5) Communities; (6) Change, transition and conflict; and (7) Subject specialisms. The review reveals gaps in teacher identity research, such as: few research studies from Global South countries; a limited number of studies focusing on non‐core curriculum subjects, including arts, history, geography and physical education; fewer studies focusing on primary school and early years teacher identities; and a divide between identity scholarship and research, and policy and practice. The article concludes with a call for teacher identity research to be expanded and broadened with the aim to facilitate the progress of identity work in scholarship, policy and practice. Context and implicationsRationale for this studyIn the context of a growing body of research on teacher identity, particularly in the last decade, there remains a paucity of identity‐focused systematic reviews. Existing systematic reviews tend to focus on specific fields such as subject specialisms, teacher education and beginning teachers. However, far fewer reviews span the broader field of teachers' professional lives; this article responds to this gap in the literature.Why the new findings matterThe findings from this review are important in highlighting the most commonly explored areas in teacher identity research as it relates to teachers' professional lives. As such, the findings can inform policy and practice for teacher education and professional development at local, national and international scales. The findings also highlight gaps in the literature and the implications this may have on teacher identity scholarship.Implications for educational researchers and educatorsFirstly, educational researchers can identify key themes arising from existing teacher identity research studies. This can help them to focus on specific areas that would benefit from further research as well as providing them with a single space from which to draw on the existing corpus of research studies. Secondly, teacher identity research is important for the professional lives and practice of educators and this review provides educators with an opportunity to understand the teacher identity scholarly landscape and, in turn, apply findings from the research to their own professional practice.

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“Coming Into My Own as a Teacher”: Identity, Disequilibrium, and the First Year of Teaching

Cited by 40 publications

References 13 publications

Adjusting Personal Expectations: An Analysis of Early-Career Teacher Narratives

Adjusting Personal Expectations: An Analysis of Early-Career Teacher Narratives

The nature of the relation between pre-service teachers’ views of an ideal teacher and their positive memories of biology and geography teachers

Understanding teacher identity in teachers' professional lives: A systematic review of the literature

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