ABSTRACT
In the last decade, a growing body of research has delved into the complex process of teacher identity development (Alsup, 2006; Beauchamp & Thomas, 2009; Brown & McNamara, 2005; Clarke, 2008; Danielewicz, 2001; Miller Marsh, 2003; Riopel, 2006; Sachs, 2005). A large part of this literature explores teachers’ identity formation through practical experience (Gaudelli & Ousley, 2009; Trent, 2010) by analyzing teachers’ ‘identity-in-practice’ (Varghese, Morgan, Johnston, & Johnson, 2005). According to this perspective, “teacher agency is seen as action-oriented and focusing on concrete practices and tasks in relation to a group and mentor(s)” (Varghese et al., 2005, p. 39). In our study, we adopt another approach to the examination of teacher development of a professional self by investigating “identity-in-discourse” (Varghese et al., 2005, p. 39). In this orientation, identity formation is mediated and negotiated through language and discursive practices. Research examining the intersections of identity and discourse is burgeoning into several pathways, from the analysis of teacher interactions (Alsup, 2006), use of metaphors (Hunt, 2006; Leavy, McSorley, & Bote, 2007), or engagement in narratives (Connelly & Clandinin, 1999; Sfard & Prusak, 2005).
