The Role of Agency in Determining and Enacting the Professional Identities of Early Career Aboriginal Teachers

Autor/in	Burgess, Cathie
Institution	Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE)
Titel	The Role of Agency in Determining and Enacting the Professional Identities of Early Career Aboriginal Teachers
Quelle	(2012), (16 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Monographie
ISSN	1324-9320
Schlagwörter	Professional Identity; Role Perception; Beginning Teachers; Interviews; Focus Groups; Indigenous Populations; Foreign Countries; Cultural Influences; Personal Narratives; Phenomenology; Preservice Teachers; Secondary School Teachers; Teacher Attitudes; Student Teacher Attitudes; Individual Characteristics; Beliefs; Indigenous Personnel; Qualitative Research; Australia + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Role conception; Rollenverständnis; Junior teacher; Junglehrer; Interviewing; Interviewtechnik; Sinti und Roma; Ausland; Cultural influence; Kultureinfluss; Erlebniserzählung; Phenomenological psychology; Phänomenologie; Psychologie; Lehrerverhalten; Personality characteristic; Personality traits; Persönlichkeitsmerkmal; Belief; Glaube; Qualitative Forschung; Australien
Abstract	This study explores the role of agency in early career Aboriginal teachers expressions of their professional identity. It argues that in the context of teaching, opportunities to exercise personal agency are critical to the development and maintenance of a "healthy" professional identity, particularly for those traditionally disempowered by the mainstream system, such as Aboriginal teachers. This qualitative study employs narrative methodology for data collection and analysis, and subsequent construction of three composite narratives. These are shaped from fifteen in-depth interviews and two focus groups with early career Aboriginal teachers. Findings revealed that agency is a key factor in the development of early career Aboriginal teachers professional identities, and that the extent to which Aboriginality plays a role in enacting agency is dependent upon individual lived experiences as well as personal responses to school contexts. This study challenges normative discourses around Aboriginal teacher's actions and responses in specific school contexts, and opens up spaces for Aboriginal teachers to determine their own professional identity either as part of or separate from their Aboriginality. Relevant issues for early career Aboriginal teachers have significant implications for teaching contexts, teacher education, and their transition into teaching. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Australian Association for Research in Education. AARE Secretariat, One Geils Court, Deakin ACT 2600, Australia. Tel: +61-2-6285-8388; e-mail: aare@aare.edu.au; Web site: http://www1.aare.edu.au
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10