Conference article

Gwyneth Owen-Jackson
Faculty of Education & Language Studies, The Open University, UK

Melanie Fasciato
Division of Mathematics, Science and Technologies Education, Faculty of Education, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK

Download article

Published in: PATT 26 Conference; Technology Education in the 21st Century; Stockholm; Sweden; 26-30 June; 2012

Linköping Electronic Conference Proceedings 73:44, p. 373-381

Published: 2012-06-18

ISBN: 978-91-7519-849-1

ISSN: 1650-3686 (print), 1650-3740 (online)

This paper describes the preliminary stage of a research project that will investigate whether the course that students take to become teachers of design and technology makes any difference to the professional identity of the teacher they become.

Design and technology (D&T) student teachers come from a wide range of backgrounds; some are young undergraduates straight from school who are acquiring subject knowledge whilst also learning to teach it. Others begin their postgraduate training having achieved subject expertise via their first degree and subsequently gained a wealth of industrial and commercial experience. Whichever route is taken; learning to teach involves not only learning the knowledge and skills required but also the formation of a professional identity as a teacher.

Like Stenberg (2010) we believe that who we are as teachers (our professional identity) is an important aspect not only of our own selves but also informs our classroom practice. According to Sachs teachers’ professional identity stands at the core of the teaching profession. It provides a framework for teachers to construct their own ideas of ’how to be’; ’how to act’ and ’how to understand’ their work and their place in society’. Teachers’ professional identity is shaped by historical and political influences as well as social and cultural ones; including the student teacher experience and context of learning to teach. It is; therefore; important to understand the impact that the teacher preparation course has on the development of student teachers’ emerging professional identity and how this might influence how (student) teachers are; act; and understand.

Our research is being undertaken in England; where teacher preparation is currently undergoing upheaval; with increasing numbers of school-based routes to qualification being proposed. We are investigating two types of teacher preparation courses; one university-based and one school-based; to find out whether these two courses have different outcomes in terms of the professional identities of the design and technology teachers and the types of teachers they are in the classroom. This may give some insight into the teachers we can expect in the future; given the Government’s change in emphasis from university-based to school-based preparation. This will have relevance for those investigating D&T student teachers’ professional identity and for those concerned with the role of the university and the role of the school in the preparation of teachers.

Alsup; J. (2006) Teacher identity discourses Negotiating personal and professional spaces Mahway NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates

Battey; D. & Franke; M.L. (2008) ‘Transforming Identities: Understanding Teachers across Professional Development and Classroom Practice’ in Teacher Education Quarterly Summer 2008 127-149

Beauchamp; C. and Thomas; L. (2009) ‘Understanding teacher identity: an overview of issues in the literature and implications for teacher education’ in Cambridge Journal of Education 39:2; 175-189

Beauchamp; C and Thomas L. (2010) Reflecting on an ideal: future teachers envision a future identity’ in Reflective Practice : International and Multidisciplinary Perspectives 11 (5) pp 631-643

Beijaard; D.; Meijer; P.C. and Verloop; N. (2004) ‘Reconsidering research on teachers’ professional identity’ in Teaching and Teacher Education vol 20 pp.107-128 http://www. sciencedirect.com.libezproxy.open.ac.uk/science/article/pii/S0742051X04000034 accessed 29.02.12

Carter; K. and Doyle; W.(1996) ‘Personal narrative and life history in learning to teach’ in Sikula; J.; Buttery; T.J. and Guyton; E. (eds) Handbook on Research in Teacher Education New York: Simon & Schuster Macmillan

Chong; S.; Low; E.L. and Goh; K.C. (2011) ‘Emerging Professional Teacher Identity of Preservice Teachers’ in Australian Journal of Teacher Education 36(8): 50-64

Cochran-Smith; M.; Feiman-Nemser; S.; McIntyre; D.J. (eds) (2008) Handbook of Research on Teacher Education Enduring Questions in Changing Contexts Third Edition New York: Routledge

Connelly; M. and Clandinin; J. (eds) (1999) Shaping a professional identity: Stories of educational practice New York: Teachers College Press

Day; C.; Kington; A.; Stobart; G. and Sammons; P. (2006)’The personal and professional selves of teachers: stable and unstable identities’ in British Educational Research Journal 32(4): 601-616

Day; C. and Kington; A. (2008) ‘Identity; well-being and effectiveness: the emotional contexts of teaching’ in Pedagogy; Culture & Society 16(1): 7-23
DfE (2011) Training our Next Generation of Outstanding Teachers- Implementation Plan London: DfE

Erikson; E. (1968) Identity; youth; and crisis New York: WW Norton & Company

Flores; M.A. (2001) ‘Person and context in becoming a new teacher’ in Journal of Education for Teaching 27(2): 135-148

Furlong J and Sainsbury J( 2005) The Best Practice Research Scholarship Scheme; an Evaluation Research Papers in Education; 20 (1) pp. 45-83 (39)

Gratch; A. (2001) ‘The culture of teaching and beginning teacher development’ in Teacher Education Quarterly 28(4): 129-169

HayMcBer (2000) Research into Teacher Effectiveness: A Model of Teacher Effectiveness. Research Report no. 216. London : HMSO

Korthagen; F. (2004) ‘In search of the essence of a good teacher: Towards a more holistic approach in teacher education’ in Teaching and Teacher Education 20; 77-97

Lauriala; A. and Kukkonen; M. (2005) ‘Teacher and student identities as situated cognitions’ in Denicolo; P.and Kompf; M. (eds) Connecting policy and practice: Challenges for teaching and learning in schools and universities Oxford: Routledge

Lloyd; M. (2005) Beyond Identity Politics London: Sage

Lortie; D.C. (1975) School Teacher: A sociological study. Chicago: University of Chicago Press

MacGregor; D. (2009) ‘Identity formation – Influences that shape beginning teachers’ professional identity – Crossing the border from pre-service to in-service teacher’ Paper presented at ‘Teacher education crossing borders: Cultures; contexts; communities and curriculum’ Australian Teacher Education Association; Albury; June 2009

Olsen; B. (2008) Teaching what they learn; learning what they live Boulder: Paradigm Publishers

Rodgers; C.R. and Scott; K. H. (2005) ‘The development of the personal self and professional identity in learning to teach’ in Cochran-Smith; M.; Feiman-Nemser; S. and McIntyre; D.J. (eds) Handbook of Research on Teacher Education Enduring Questions in Changing Contexts Third Edition New York: Routledge

Sachs; J. (2005) ‘Teacher education and the development of professional identity: Learning to be a teacher’ in Denicolo; P.and Kompf; M. (eds) Connecting policy and practice: Challenges for teaching and learning in schools and universities Oxford: Routledge

Stenberg; K. (2010) ‘Identity work as a tool for promoting the professional development of student teachers’ in Reflective Practice vol 11; no 3 pp331-346

Zeichner K.M. (1987) ‘Preparing Reflective Teachers: an overview of instructional strategies which have been employed in preservice teacher education’ in The international Journal of Educational Research vol 11; no 5; pp 565-575