Technologies of the self and narrating an ethical teacher identity, or how to tell stories of a life well lived

Abstract

I consider how teachers discursively instantiate their identities through narrative work, which I frame using the metaphor of weaving a tapestry of the self, and drawing together a conceptualisation of technologies of the self with ideas around performativity, agency and psycho-technologies. I have included data from my analysis of sixteen life history narrative interviews conducted in North West England with teachers at different stages of their careers. My analysis contributes to the burgeoning area of international research which has indicated the need to better understand teachers’ sense of self, and intercedes with a unique insight into re-conceptualising identity development as discursive and performative. Three key aspects are addressed: how technologies of the self are instantiated via construction of the teaching self; how this self is performed as ethical with reference to normalised educational values; and how risk to this performance is “repaired”.

Keywords:

• Life history narrative
• technologies of the self
• teacher identity

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank all the busy teachers who took the time and trouble to actively engage in the qualitative interviews to share their experiences so generously. I would also like to thank my colleagues Jo Albin Clark, Ian Shirley, and Maggie Webster who were co-researchers for the “Transitions Research Project” from which the data was drawn.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Clare Woolhouse

Dr. Clare Woolhouse, I am currently a Reader at Edge Hill University. My research adopts a feminist, post structuralist approach to exploring identity formation, multi-modal methodologies and pedagogies, with particular attention given to aspects of ethics, inclusion and social justice. My teaching involves exploring sociological approaches to a range of educational subjects at undergraduate and postgraduate level, I supervise PhD students, mentor early career researchers and academic colleagues, and I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.