The development of university teachers’ professional identity: a dialogical study

Abstract

This study investigated whether changes can occur on indicators of teachers’ professional identity (TPI) when teachers and students share representations about what happens in class during an academic term. TPI is a process of constant negotiation between the different I-positions of teachers at the personal, social and cultural levels. The main indicators underlying this identity are: teachers’ representations and perceptions of their own academic roles; their concepts of what it means to teach, learn and assess the courses they teach at university; and the feelings they associate with their duties. Teachers’ education based on critical incidents could be appropriate to analyse teachers’ self-positions, reflect about them and evaluate the possibility of changing any indicators of a TPI. The participants of this study were four university teachers and their students. Data were constructed employing electronic media. Questionnaires were created essentially using open questions. The findings have indicated that the methodology of shared reports was an effective educational tool that can foster changes in teaching and classroom management strategies and has the potential to foster the development of TPI. For further studies, in addition to a longitudinal project, it is also necessary to implement the method herein employed using a broader sample.

Keywords:

• Higher education
• teacher education
• teachers’ professional identity
• dialogical self
• critical incident