Chapter 1 Introduction

Question 1

Why is teacher professional identity an important topic?

Answer 1

Why is teacher professional identity an important topic?

1) Makes teacher productive and helps career progression (Sachs: How to be, how to act)
2) impacts the quality of education
3) can improve ITT/CPD
4) Understand how a teacher reacts to change/policy
5) stop teachers being manipulated by external factors

Question 2

What is the focus of the existing literature on TPI?

Answer 2

What is the focus of the existing literature?

1) formation of teacher professional identity
2) Central characteristics of teacher professional identity
3) teachers perceptions of identity **

Question 3

What is the underlying theoretical principle of the dissertation?

Answer 3

Subjectivity and the self

Question 4

What are the five key aspects of policy context discussed in the literature?

Answer 4

1) neo liberalism
2) anti progressive
3) Hyperactivity in policy (Dunleavy and O’Leary)/policy overload (Ball)
4) Economic crisis and austerity
5) governance and academies

Question 5

Why is neoliberalism damaging to teachers?

Answer 5

It’s reshapes the concept of professionalism to predefined, measurable standards deemed easily transferable to others

Question 6

What is neoliberalism?

Answer 6

Placing the market as the basis for social relations.

The market organises and regulates the state rather than vice versa

Question 7

What did neoliberalism lead to in the public sector?

Answer 7

Liberalised markets
De regulation
Greater encouragement of competition

Purpose of education away from social policy towards economic policy/knowledge economy
Perception that TPI is based on skills and competencies, rather than principles and judgements

Question 8

What are the current key drivers in education policy

Answer 8

1) individualism
2) choice
3) competition
4) autonomy
5) accountability

Question 9

What are the 5 main characteristics of teacher professional identity identified in the literature?

Answer 9

1) relationship between identity and self
2) the link between the self and the context in which teachers work
3) the existence of simultaneous core and some identities
4) identity comprises a notion of agency
5) perceptions of the future

Question 10

What are the three main research questions?

Answer 10

1) what are the main characteristics of teacher professional identity
2) what you of the teaching profession does government policy discourse present
3) to what extent does policy discourse shape teacher professional identity