Personal, professional, political: an exploration of science teacher identity development for teaching climate change

Abstract

for their expertise throughout the MADE CLEAR project. I also would like to express my appreciation to my MADE CLEAR colleagues on the Learning Sciences research team and K-12 professional development team for their collective guidance and moral support: Dr.

Building Teacher Identity in Environmental and Sustainability Education: The Perspectives of Preservice Secondary School Geography Teachers

“…These tensions and difficulties are also found in a more recent study of US-based high school science teachers who taught climate change using ESE-informed approaches [15]. This study of 15 teachers from rural, urban and suburban contexts in the US included ten who had been qualified for at least six years and so could be described as 'experienced' teachers [15]. Drewes [15] found that both novice and experienced teachers relied upon their agency as teachers that was rooted in their classroom practice to overcome periods of challenge and tension.…”

“…Pedretti et al [14] suggest that these tensions are caused by the nascent development of the trainee teachers' professional identities which meant that it was more challenging to teach topics such as global warming and more difficult to teach science using ESE-informed approaches which are perceived by some as alternative or different to usual practice. These tensions and difficulties are also found in a more recent study of US-based high school science teachers who taught climate change using ESE-informed approaches [15]. This study of 15 teachers from rural, urban and suburban contexts in the US included ten who had been qualified for at least six years and so could be described as 'experienced' teachers [15].…”

“…Enyedy et al [16] also highlight the importance of teachers drawing on different sources of identity to enable them to adapt and endure during periods of professional challenge and that teachers need explicit guidance regarding the concept of identity formation and how this interlinks with practice. These examples are all drawn from the US and research with secondary school science teachers [14][15][16]. However, I contend that the observations of tension, challenge and difficulty experienced by these teachers in their practice when enacting ESE-informed curricula and approaches are highly relevant to this study which considers trainee secondary geography teachers' identity development in relation their ESE-informed practice in England.…”

“…Rushton and Reiss [4] argue that the social identity approach provides education researchers and teacher educators with a greater understanding of how and why some teachers form positive professional identities, whilst others do not. This is of relevance when considering the identity development of teachers who engage in ESE as research has shown that teachers who teach aspects of ESE such as global warming and climate change frequently experience periods of challenge and tension that increase, rather than decrease, over time [14,15]. In a study of 64 trainee secondary school teachers, based in the USA, who taught about global warming as part of ESE-informed project, Pedretti et al [14] observed that teachers were initially confident and highly motivated at the outset.…”

“…This study of 15 teachers from rural, urban and suburban contexts in the US included ten who had been qualified for at least six years and so could be described as 'experienced' teachers [15]. Drewes [15] found that both novice and experienced teachers relied upon their agency as teachers that was rooted in their classroom practice to overcome periods of challenge and tension. ESE curricula frequently include complex and controversial topics and Enyedy et al [16] have suggested that teachers' identities are especially likely to inform practice when teaching these aspects of the curriculum.…”