Swimming with the Shoal

Abstract

This article responds to Yuli Rahmawati and Peter Charles Taylor's piece and explores my role as a science teacher, science teacher educator and researcher in two contexts, Sierra Leone and Bhutan. In the first part of the article I reflect on my 3 years as a science teacher in Sierra Leone and demonstrate resonances with Yuli's accounts of culture shock and with her positioning of herself in a third space. I also reflect on the importance of colleagues in helping me reshape my identity as a science teacher in this new context. The second part of the article reflects on much shorter periods of time in Bhutan and my work as a teacher educator and researcher where, unlike Sierra Leone, it was not possible because of the short periods I worked there, to occupy a third space. I close by discussing how in Bhutan, but also Sierra Leone, collaboration with colleagues allowed me to contribute my own expertise, despite my lack of a deep understanding of the cultural context, in a way that was as valuable as possible. I liken this way of collaborative working in my professional life as 'swimming with the shoal'.

Characterising The Literature on Science Teacher Identity: A Bibliometric Study

“…Wei et al (2019) said that there is a strong correlation between practical work and scientific inquiry that shapes the development of teachers' identity. Childs (2018) explores the nature of the identity of science teachers in an unfamiliar society to teachers. Teachers enhance identity when enacting real-world educational activities (Silvestri et al, 2019).…”