Teacher Identity in the Early Career Phase: Trajectories that Explain and Influence Development

Morrison, Chad

doi:10.14221/ajte.2013v38n4.5

Cited by 81 publications

(52 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…As early-career teachers negotiate the transition to the profession, they often confront a gap between their initially idealistic visions of themselves as teachers, and what they find to be realistic to achieve in practice (Beijaard, Meijer, & Verloop, 2004;Delamarter, 2015;Morrison, 2013). For Pillen, den Brok and Beijaard (2013c), the mismatch of personal expectations with the realities of the profession may even lead to a number of "professional identity tensions" (p. 88), or, as Delamarter (2015) explains, a professional identity "crisis" (p. 3).…”

Section: Early-career Teacher Expectations a Significant Body Of Litmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Research indicates that turnover rates are also higher in disadvantaged, hard-to-staff schools (Ewing & Smith, 2003;Lyons, 2004;Morrison, 2013). As Lyons (2004), and Ingersoll and Strong (2011) further note, high teacher turnover also leads to poorer outcomes in schools, perpetuating a cycle of school disadvantage.…”

Section: Attrition Teacher Effectiveness and Resiliencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…A further concern is that many studies report that "it is the most able who are most likely to leave" (Ewing & Smith, 2003, p. 16), as these teachers experience disillusionment in their struggle to enact their high personal performance standards (Henke et al, 2000;Le Maistre & Paré, 2010). Morrison (2013) refers to the early exit of quality teachers from the profession as "wastage" (p.…”

Section: Attrition Teacher Effectiveness and Resiliencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The importance of understanding teacher identity is frequently acknowledged in the literature, where development and growth are conceptualised as a process of becoming a teacher as opposed to a linear process of professional development (Akkerman & Meijer, 2011;Beauchamp & Thomas, 2009;Henry, 2016;Morrison, 2013). Teacher identity, the "development of one's awareness and understanding of self as a teacher" (Johnson et al, 2015, p. 103), is of utmost importance in the early-career years.…”

Section: Conceptualising Teacher Identitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Understandings of identity as a concept vary across the disciplines of the social sciences and philosophy, and indeed, even within the literature on identity in education there is a multiplicity of definitions (Akkerman & Meijer, 2011;Beauchamp & Thomas, 2009;Beijaard et al, 2004;Morrison, 2013). The concept of teacher identity, then, is not only complex, but defining it is difficult, as research draws attention to teacher identity from a variety of perspectives (Beauchamp & Thomas, 2009;Beijaard et al, 2004;Morrison, 2013).…”

Section: Conceptualising Teacher Identitymentioning

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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