Teachers grappling with a teacher-leader identity: complexities and tensions in early childhood education

Cooper, Maria

doi:10.1080/13603124.2020.1744733

Cited by 17 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Carlyon (2018), Cooper (2020), Grier and Johnston (2009), Hall et al (2013), Iranzo‐García et al (2020), Molander and Hamza (2018), Nazari and Seyri (2021), Sarastuen (2020), Smetana and Kushki (2021), Trent (2018a), Trent (2018b)…”

Section: Overview Of Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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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Section: Overview Of Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Rushton,

Rawlings Smith,

Steadman

et al. 2023

Review of Education

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Reforms in ECEC are taking place globally, and this study is an examination of leaders' interpretations of the current state of leadership in the field of Finnish ECEC and provides a contextual view of the leadership in the light of the concept community of practice. To provide a holistic picture, authors of future studies should examine functional and leaderful ECEC communities (Cooper, 2014), and the structures, roles, and responsibilities supporting the positive growth of the multi-professional distributive leadership.…”

Section: Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perspectives on Leadership in Early Childhood Education and Care Centers Through Community of Practice

2022

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This article investigates early childhood education and care (ECEC) leadership through the concept of community of practice (COP). The focus is on ECEC leaders’ perceptions regarding their leadership during the educational changes taking place in the context of Finnish ECEC. The purpose is to increase understanding of how leaders see themselves in relation to the ECEC multi professional working community and practices of distributed leadership. The data are five focus group interviews of ECEC leaders analyzed with directed content analysis within the theoretical frame of domain, practice, and community forming the core of COP in Lave and Wenger. The results show how all three COP components comprise several dimensions in ECEC leaders’ perceptions of their leadership. For example, the component of the leadership domain consists of ECEC values, ECEC legislation, and ECEC curriculum. The results indicate that a formal leadership role is essential in leading the community and its vision. Moreover, building flexible leadership structures and supporting multi professional cooperation in the community augment leadership as a community’s joint enterprise.

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“…With education development in the 21 st century, leadership is being incorporated into teachers' professional qualifications (Santi, 2020). Cooper (2020) explains the complexities of connecting the role of the teacher and the role of the leader in teaching and views this problem as the dual identity of the teacher. The aim of inclusion is undoubtedly to establish a fairer approach to education for all groups of children, pupils, and students.…”

Section: Teachers' Personality Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Personality Development as a Key Aspect of Teacher Learning: A Pilot Study of the Training Programme Effects within the CLIMA Concept

et al. 2022

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The paper presents research conducted in the context of the professional education of teachers in kindergartens and primary schools focused on personality development, emotional intelligence and the creation of a favourable classroom climate. The research aims to confirm or refute the usefulness of such education at other than a pedagogical faculty, and to find how specific areas of this new form of education contributed to the participants’ teaching practice. The effect of the training was evaluated using questionnaires collected from 27 participants before and after the programme. The programme's benefits were analysed based on closed questions using statistical methods, while open-ended questions were processed by content analysis. The results suggest that a training programme using elements from different managerial field appears to be highly suitable and beneficial. The paper is an appeal that approaches from various fields can be used in further education, thus expanding the skills portfolio of modern teachers.

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Teachers grappling with a teacher-leader identity: complexities and tensions in early childhood education

Cited by 17 publications

References 24 publications

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

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

Perspectives on Leadership in Early Childhood Education and Care Centers Through Community of Practice

Personality Development as a Key Aspect of Teacher Learning: A Pilot Study of the Training Programme Effects within the CLIMA Concept

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