Teacher professional identity

Abstract

This document, as well as any data and map included herein, are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area. 2  EDU/WKP(2022)5 TEACHER PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY: HOW TO DEVELOP AND SUPPORT IT IN TIMES OF CHANGE Unclassified OECD EDUCATION WORKING PAPERS SERIESOECD Working Papers should not be reported as representing the official views of the OECD or of its member countries. The opinions expressed and arguments employed herein are those of the author(s).Working Papers describe preliminary results or research in progress by the author(s) and are published to stimulate discussion on a broad range of issues on which the OECD works. Comments on Working Papers are welcome, and may be sent to the Directorate for Education and Skills, OECD,

‘It feels like I'm back to being a teacher’: A longitudinal trajectory analysis of teachers' experiences during the first 8 months of COVID‐19 in England

“…The four longitudinal themes we have presented show how teachers grew in their frustrations about the uncertainties they experienced and in their concern for pupils, all while becoming increasingly exhausted and less satisfied by the job of teaching in these difficult circumstances. Indeed, these changing and intensified individual, professional and contextual factors appear to have clearly affected teachers' professional identities (Suarez & McGrath, 2022 ). In turn, this appears to have affected their behaviours and attitudes and their reflections on the educational system, its future and their place within it.…”

“…The high‐, low‐ and turning‐point scenes that the participants chose to share with us showed that there were multiple factors contributing to their experiences of being a teacher throughout this time. Contextual factors, including the professional and political environments, can affect teachers' professional identity (Beijaard et al, 2004 ; Suarez & McGrath, 2022 ) and it was clear in the stories participants told us that such factors clearly affected how they viewed their profession and their responsibilities. It was clear in our data that the participants saw themselves as planners with strong personal and professional needs to be in control and to work in a structured environment with a clear routine.…”

“…Various theoretical models of teacher professional identity have identified factors that contribute to its formation and development. For example, Beijaard et al ( 2004 ) propose that an interaction between factors on two axes (individual/collective; public/private) contributes to the formation of teachers' professional identity, while Suarez and McGrath ( 2022 ) identify factors at the individual, professional and contextual levels (see Suarez & McGrath, 2022 for a review). What is clear across these models is that factors which range from the individual to the system level, and the interactions between them, can all contribute to the professional identity among teachers.…”

“…Many aspects of these contributing factors indeed changed as a result of the circumstances instigated by COVID‐19, which in turn would have required teachers to continuously negotiate and renegotiate their professional identities. Moreover, as Suarez and McGrath ( 2022 ), propose in their teacher professional identity development and outcome model, teachers' professional identity can reciprocally affect their behaviours and attitudes (e.g. teaching quality and commitment and intention to remain in the profession), and thereby pupil outcomes (e.g.…”

“…However, the potential changes in teachers' professional identities and their associated consequences for their behaviours and attitudes over time remain unknown. The model by Suarez and McGrath ( 2022 ) model would predict that challenges in the individual, professional and contextual realms would have a negative effect on professional identity and, thereby, on outcomes such as reduced teaching quality and commitment to the profession.…”