The accommodation of contested identities: The impact of participation in a practice-based masters programme on beginning teachers’ professional identity and sense of agency

Connolly, Mark; Hadfield, Mark; Barnes, Yvonne; Snook, James

doi:10.1016/j.tate.2018.01.010

Cited by 26 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 25 publications

(33 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Moving away from a deprofessionalisation perspective, Evetts () traces how organisations draw on these competing understandings, while Noordegraaf (, ) describes roles where organisational and bureaucratic logics are incorporated into professional practice—categorised as ‘hybrid’ or ‘organised professionalism’. Such an approach emphasises the agency of professionals to endorse, resist or subvert these changes (see Biesta et al ., ; Connolly et al ., or, in relation to HTs as ‘agentic dissidents’, Courtney, ). Priestley et al .…”

Section: The Changing Professional Role and Identity Of The Head Teachermentioning

confidence: 99%

Turning heads: The impact of political reform on the professional role, identity and recruitment of head teachers in Wales

Connolly

Milton

Davies

et al. 2018

British Educational Res J

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This article considers the professional work, identity and recruitment of head teachers (HTs) in Wales. Drawing on the sociology of professions, the article illustrates how intensive educational policy reform post-2011 has restricted HTs' professional agency and re-orientated the head teacher role towards organisational professionalism. Drawing on semi-structured interviews (n=30) with both head and deputy head teachers, the article argues that issues with the recruitment and retention of HTs in Wales can, in part, be explained by the promotion of managerial and technicist approaches to professional practice. This role reconfiguration is the result of myriad and, at times, overlapping accountability mechanisms. The article illustrates how these changes to HT professional roles and identity are more intense within a small education system where HTs had, traditionally, enjoyed an elite professional status. To ameliorate these issues, the article proposes policy initiatives which the Welsh Government could introduce to foster the agency of HTs within a revised professional framework for educational leadership in Wales.

show abstract

Section: The Changing Professional Role and Identity Of The Head Teachermentioning

confidence: 99%

Turning heads: The impact of political reform on the professional role, identity and recruitment of head teachers in Wales

Connolly

Milton

Davies

et al. 2018

British Educational Res J

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…What Beijaard et al (2004) are describing is novice teachers intentionally pursuing experiences of quality teaching that is relevant to their own sense of effective instruction. Connolly et al (2018) observed education students defining their identity through their credibility and therefore seeking out additional degrees. Building credibility is another approach to seeking out relevant experiences, by taking higher education courses to learn more about teaching or a specific content area that can later be added to a teacher's PI and used to inform instruction.…”

Section: Noonan (2018) Takesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Even though new teachers might be hesitant to take risks or seek out new experiences that can shape their PI, mentors can play an important role in facilitating the development of a new teacher's PI (Avalos, 2011;Connolly et al, 2018;Ginnis, Pestell, Mason, & Ipsos, 2018). Friesen and Besley (2013) Published by SCHOLINK INC. maintain there is little substitute for quality experiences in regard to shaping PI.…”

Section: Veteran Teachersmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

A Critical Period in Becoming a Teacher: How Novice Teachers Develop Their Professional Identity

Gibbons

2020

JECS

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

It is important to understand how teachers develop their professional identity because teacher educators and supervisors can take necessary steps to ensure novice teachers are provided necessary opportunities to cultivate their identity. This article examines research on professional identity development and explains how teachers develop their professional identity and why it is important for mentors to aid in the development process. This article draws on previous research to both define professional identity and explore the many aspects that lead to identity development in novice teachers. Findings suggest that although any experience can contribute to professional identity development, key factors have a major impact on how teachers develop their identity and the role identity development plays in pedagogical thinking. Understanding how professional identity develops can help teacher educators, supervisors, and mentors make available opportunities to build agency among novice educators, helping them to grow into reflective teachers.

show abstract

“…As such, Welsh Government (WG) is currently working with others to develop future policy strategies for PRUs in Wales, which consider their current implementation of broader national education policy reforms (WG, 2017a). Recently it has been suggested that these broader reforms have contributed to a change in the professional role and identity of mainstream teachers and head teachers working within the Welsh education system (see Connolly et al, 2018a;Connolly et al, 2018b). These changes which are associated with a greater degree of external accountability measures and an increase in bureaucracy, have reframed teachers' and headteachers' professional practice.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Care and Education. a Case Study: Understanding Professional Roles and Identities of Teachers Within A Welsh Pru

Smith¹,

Connolly²

2019

wales j educ

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This paper considers the professional work of teachers within Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) in Wales. Traditionally neglected by both policy and research, PRUs have become a focus of attention due to debates around attainment and the 'off rolling' of pupils from traditional schooling. Drawing on data from an ethnographic study of one Welsh PRU, this paper illustrates how teachers working within PRUs see themselves as occupying a hybrid space between teacher and social worker within a social pedagogic approach to teaching. We illustrate how this approach is underpinned by a strong moral and ethical account of their professional work. From this we illustrate how policy scrutiny and Welsh educational reforms have resulted in changes to teachers' perceptions of their working role and identity. While this policy focus is welcomed we suggest that any accountability frameworks introduced to judge Welsh PRU success need to adopt a highly contextualised approach which recognises the complex needs and backgrounds of PRU pupils and does not reduce success to only measures of academic attainment. By recognising the hybrid nature of professional practice and developing metrics of success which capture the social as well as academic needs of pupils within the Welsh PRU setting, Welsh Government (WG) will reinforce the social pedagogic approach of Welsh PRU teachers.

show abstract

The accommodation of contested identities: The impact of participation in a practice-based masters programme on beginning teachers’ professional identity and sense of agency

Cited by 26 publications

References 25 publications

Turning heads: The impact of political reform on the professional role, identity and recruitment of head teachers in Wales

Turning heads: The impact of political reform on the professional role, identity and recruitment of head teachers in Wales

A Critical Period in Becoming a Teacher: How Novice Teachers Develop Their Professional Identity

Care and Education. a Case Study: Understanding Professional Roles and Identities of Teachers Within A Welsh Pru

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About