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This case study research explored the professional teacher identity development of six fourth-year preservice teachers through a process of socialization which involved their participation in a year-long immersion pathway in schools. Common attributes that have been associated with the notion of identity are that it is dynamic, multidimensional, and shifts over time due to the negotiation of both internal and external factors that occur in the daily lives of individuals. These negotiations of concepts, ideas, theories, and experiences create the accounts of teacher identity development as shared by the participating preservice teachers. The utilisation of an interpretivist epistemology in this research was viewed to include not only the understanding of meanings from human actions but also the consideration of their experiences and histories. For example, preservice teachers bring past life experiences as members of previous school communities: as school students, as preservice teachers on prior Field Experience placements, or through previous employment experiences to their current situation. By including an understanding of the past histories and experiences of preservice teachers, a richer analysis of the development of preservice teacher identity evolves than might be afforded only by viewing preservice through teachers their immediate day-to-day experiences. Case study is described as especially good for getting a rich picture of a particular sociocultural situation by looking at it from many angles. Case study design is flexible allowing the researcher to select a topic and determine the boundaries of the issue or problem to be researched. To date, there is a depth of research that specifically explores preservice teachers' teacher identity development in a year-long immersion pathway.
Data were collected at several data collection points from the beginning, mid-point and end point of the preservice teachers' immersion pathway experience using semi-structured interviews and postings on a closed online discussion board. Because it was important to include contextual aspects of preservice teachers' voices it was deemed that semi-structured interviews would provide them with the best way to present their views. The questions that were asked of the preservice teachers over the course of the year allowed the researchers to compare responses for professional teacher identity development over time. Analysis of the data after each interview set informed the development of the questions for the next set of interviews. information among the participating preservice teachers in the immersion pathway and the researchers throughout the year.
Thematic analysis was used to identify meaningful themes throughout data collection as a quasi-constant comparative method of analysis where incidents or data are compared to other incidents or data during the process of coding. This method of data analysis uses a systematic and rigorous approach to inductive analysis of discourse used specifically as the literature on communities of practice (CoPs) has set identifiers as to what constitutes a community, such as identity and practice (Lave & Wenger, 2000).
Deductive coding revealed an overarching focus: Teacher Identity Development which was connected with the most significant theme of Sense of Belonging. Inductive coding then revealed that the major theme of Sense of Belonging was into three broad themes: Relationships, Teaching Practice, and Philosophy of Teaching. The theme of Relationships was further divided into six subthemes that indicated relationships with school principal and deputy principal, supervising teachers, other school staff, fellow preservice teachers, students, and parents. and teaching duties. Philosophy of Teaching was divided further into the subthemes of current teaching and future teaching.
The research data revealed that such a transformation of teacher identity development is enhanced when preservice teachers feel that they have been accepted as members of the school's CoP. The findings of the research suggest that there is merit in having preservice teachers engage with school communities as volunteer participants over an extended period of time. Being immersed in a school for an extended period of time allowed the preservice teachers opportunities to test out the teacher behaviors they observed experienced teachers enacting. These opportunities led the preservice teachers to hone their own teaching skills and to present themselves to others as a teacher rather than as a preservice teacher. Being perceived by others as 'a teacher' rather than as a preservice teacher had a positive impact on their developing professional teacher identity and sense of belonging within the school community.
Academic dissertation (doctor)
