Understanding teacher identity: An overview of issues in the literature and implications for teacher education
Abstract
While literature on teaching emphasizes the importance of identity in teacher development, understanding identity and the issues related to it can be a challenging endeavour. This article provides an overview of the issues revealed in recent discussions of teacher identity: the problem of defining the concept; the place of the self, and related issues of agency, emotion, narrative and discourse; the role of reflection; and the influence of contextual factors. A particular focus is placed on identity in pre‐service teachers and new practitioners. Implications of an understanding of these issues for programmes of teacher education are highlighted.
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Reflection plays a vital role in teacher education, not only at the level of behavior and competencies but also at the level of identity and mission.
“Studies emphasize that reflection plays a vital role in teacher education [66,67], not only at the level of behavior and competencies but also at the level of identity and mission where they see why and how they are becoming teachers [30].”
From Beyond the Classroom: Integrating the ORID Model for In-Depth Reflection and Assessment in Service-Learning (2024) · cites this paper as [67]
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Coping with teacher professional identity tensions: using TPACK during global crisis time
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Montessori Identity in Dialogue: A Selected Review of Literature on Teacher Identity
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- Authors
- Beauchamp, C., & Thomas, L.
- Affiliations
- Bishop's University (CA)
- Université de Sherbrooke (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Beauchamp, Catherine
- Venue
- Cambridge Journal of Education
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2009-05-27
- Volume
- 39
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 175-189
- ISSN
- 0305-764X (ISSN-L)
- 1469-3577
- OpenAlex
- W2084548251
- Cited by
- 2,426
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 300 · 2025: 235 · 2024: 216 · 2023: 216 · 2022: 171 · 2021: 174 · 2020: 176 · 2019: 187 · 2018: 154 · 2017: 131 · 2016: 127 · 2015: 82 · 2014: 89 · 2013: 64 · 2012: 53
- FWCI
- 146.12
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Cambridge Journal of Education (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › Teacher Education and Leadership Studies
- Social Sciences › Education › Reflective Practices in Education
- Social Sciences › Education › Teacher Professional Development and Motivation
- Keywords
- teacher identity, teacher professional development, pre-service teachers, novice teachers, self, agency, emotions, narrative, discourse, reflection, contextual factors
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