Conceptions of teachership in the professional identity construction of adult educator graduates

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to investigate the conceptions of teachership among graduates (n = 126) from a Finnish higher education study programme called Pedagogical Studies for Adult Educators. The conceptions of teachership comprise notions of teaching and of oneself as a teacher. Accordingly, the conceptions of teachership are viewed as one element in the process of constructing teacher identity. Currently, we have little knowledge about the professional identity construction of adult educators, even though there is a growing need for adult pedagogics in the changing professional life. Based on a qualitative thematic analysis of open-ended questionnaire data, three main conceptual categories were identified: (1) teachership as an activity, (2) teachership as a personal disposition, and (3) teachership as a process. It was concluded that in studying teacher identity it is essential to focus on the interplay between the personal and the social. Thus, the findings suggest that in understanding and supporting the construction of teacher identities, one should pay particular attention to the intertwined relationship between individual and collective needs.

KEYWORDS:

• Teachership
• teacher identity
• adult educators
• adult education
• conceptions of teaching

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jani Ursin

Jani Ursin, PhD, is a senior researcher at the Finnish Institute for Educational Research of the University of Jyväskylä, Finland. He holds the Title of Docent in Higher Education Research. His research has focused on quality assurance in higher education, mergers of Finnish universities, learning outcomes in higher education, and academic work and identities. Ursin is on the editorial board of several journals in the field of higher education.

Susanna Paloniemi

Susanna Paloniemi, PhD, is a senior lecturer at the Department of Education of the University of Jyväskylä, Finland. Her research has focused on professional identity, agency, leadership practices, and work-related learning in the domains of health care, education, and information technology. She is currently working on the Role of Emotions in Agentic Learning (REAL) research project. Her recent publications include articles in Professional Development in Education, Educational Research Review, and Management Learning. Paloniemi is co-editor of a volume, Agency at Work, in the Springer series on Professional and Practice-Based Learning.