Unveiling the Role of Identity in Teacher Education
Unveiling the Role of Identity in Teacher Education

Summary/Abstract: Understanding who teachers are has turned out to be a prerequisite in order to understand language teaching and learning since teaching is not limited to the skills and knowledge of language teaching but it overall covers who a language teacher is. To this effect, teacher identity has emerged as the focus for many researchers. Different learning theories define the nature of teacher identity in their particular terms. In behaviourism, the teacher is the information transmitter; in humanism, he is the counsellor. In constructivist theory, the teacher is the designer of educational experiences. Like behaviourism and humanism, constructivism focuses only on the psychological and mental dimensions and neglects the social role of teaching, teachers’ relations with each other, and the expectations of others. As teacher identity is a social phenomenon that can be constructed, reconstructed or developed in a social environment, this directs us to socio-constructivist theory. The teacher acts like a designer and mediator of educational and social experiences and creates a democratic learning environment which is appropriate for peer interaction and collaborative learning. Why some teachers can develop their identity and how they can do that is another intriguing aspect. What happens in the shifting from one identity to another? Who or what influences the change? How should teacher education programmes approach teacher identity development/ reconstruction? This article also focuses on the roles of teacher educators and the professional development activities conducted to help teachers develop their teacher identity.

• Details
• Contents