Identity Work as Ethical Self-Formation: The Case of Two Chinese English-as-Foreign-Language Teachers in the Context of Curriculum Reform

Curriculum reform urges teachers to constantly reflect on existing identities and develop probably whole new identities. Yet, in the wake of the poststructuralist view of identity as a complex matter of the social and the individual, of discourse and practice, and of agency and structure, teacher identity is a process of arguing for themselves and hence ethical and political in nature. Drawing on Foucault’s notion of ethical self-formation and its adoption by Clarke (2009a) “Diagram for Doing Identity Work” in teacher education research, this 2-year-long case study explores how two Chinese English-as-foreign-language (EFL) teachers engaged in identity work in a changing curricular landscape. The analysis of narrative frames and semistructured interviews reveals the relations between the relative stable and the evolving elements of teachers’ identity work, and the essential role of teachers’ ethical agency based on reflective and critical responsiveness to the contextual reality and the dynamic power relations during the reform. The findings argue for the importance of nourishing teachers’ reflective identity work and ethical agency during the turbulence of educational change.

Teacher leadership and teacher identity in turbulent times in Iraq

This article addresses the professional challenges faced by teacher leaders in Iraq. The country is beginning to emerge from a period of political unrest and violent threats to personal safety. This has seriously affected the educational provision; nowhere more so than in Mosul, Iraq's third-largest city. The article examines three issues: how teacher-leaders describe and understand their empowerment to build inclusive education systems in the post-conflict city; how professional learning communities can support inclusive practices to optimise students’ learning and build community cohesion; and what role digital skills can play in the modernisation of an inclusive Iraqi curriculum. The naturalistic enquiry approach draws on interview data from two teachers, two headteachers and two inspectors; the latter work directly with the Iraqi Ministry of Education and local communities. The findings show that, as teacher leaders reframe their understanding of the role of educational leaders in the changing context of Iraq, they become better empowered to build sustainable learning communities. Digital skills are crucial in supporting learning within and beyond the school curriculum.

Teacher Identity, Growth Mindset, and Agency

This chapter discusses the problem of teacher retention as it relates to handling the unexpected, whether it be meeting the needs of all learners, classroom management, or any other problem teachers may encounter. The authors propose that teacher education programs can support the growth of preservice teachers by helping them to develop teacher identity early in their learning through experiences and autonomy. In addition, preservice teachers should develop a growth mindset to promote agency when encountering learning obstacles and to engage in reflective practice. By identifying as teachers, allowing themselves to grow, and being proactive in searching for ways to improve their practice, preservice teachers can better prepare themselves for the reality of teaching and, hopefully, remain in the teaching profession.

Metaphors and Methods

It is widely understood that the development of a teacher identity for individuals transitioning into teaching is important, and therefore substantial research has been produced looking at teacher identity development. Much of this research is conducted using the possible selves theory as its framework. Nevertheless, with the self and identity being widely interpreted concepts with no consentaneous definition, researchers lean on metaphorical language at times to semantically represent the meaning of the future selves. This chapter reviews contemporary literature, discussing how different metaphors used to talk about the self, influence the methodological choices made within the study. Different types of metaphors used led to a heavier emphasis on either the integrative, temporal, or dynamic nature of the possible selves theory.

Creating Brave Spaces

This chapter provides an interdisciplinary, conceptual social justice and social emotional learning framework and protocol to understand the varying competencies needed in critical learning paradigms with regard to multilingual learners (MLs). Engaging in social justice and social emotional (SJSE) work requires reflective practices to develop teacher identity. Therefore, reflection protocols before and after instruction in this chapter serve as a lever for building culturally reflective teachers through prompts that engage in self-awareness, student relations, and climate. Lesson plan delivery at different grade and language levels along with background and rationale of each topic further demonstrate SJSE integration. Discussion of challenges in SJSE are addressed that extend into three identified areas: professional, personal, and institutional.