ERIC Number: EJ1197162
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1354-0602
EISSN: N/A
Developing Different Identity Trajectories: Lessons from the Chinese Teachers
Ye, Juyan; Zhao, Di
Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, v25 n1 p34-53 2019
The purpose of this study was to investigate how three Chinese teachers developed their teacher identities in a reform context. Drawing upon data from a larger social historical study, the work-life narratives of the three teachers at different stages of their careers were used as case studies to showcase three types of teacher identity development trajectories, namely, learning to be both professional educator and subject teaching expert, learning to be subject teaching expert, and navigating to balance between educator and subject teacher. This study also investigated the factors that influence identity development trajectories of teachers and develops a conceptual framework for understanding teacher identity development in China. The framework shows that Chinese teachers' exertion of their individual agency is embedded in the institutional context. Meanwhile, interpersonal relationships can work as a buffer to alleviate the tension between the institution and individual teachers. The study also shows the ways in which Chinese teachers' exert their agency when developing their identities. The findings have significant implications for teacher education in terms of how to develop positive teacher identity over the course of a teacher's career.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Self Concept, Professional Identity, Case Studies, Guidelines, Professional Autonomy, Teacher Education, Personal Narratives, Teacher Attitudes, Educational Change, Middle School Teachers, Elementary School Teachers, Institutional Characteristics, Mathematics Teachers, Language Teachers, History Instruction
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Middle Schools; Secondary Education; Junior High Schools; Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: China
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A