Using identity as a lens to theorise effects of professional learning

Abstract

The construction of one’s identity is not static but instead a fluid on-going process as a person makes meaning of their experiences throughout their life. In this way, identity is formed through interaction with others and self-reflection. Because learning can have a significant effect on identity,, a teacher’s professional learning can provide a fruitful context for exploring identity. This research investigated student teachers’ identity in relation to sustainability education. Twenty-one teachers participated in a series of three workshops that were focused on developing their understandings of the concept of sustainability. An interpretive mode of inquiry was used to analyse interview and documentary data. The results showed that at the end of the workshops, student teachers’ understandings of sustainability had become more complex. In order to characterise their identities, an ‘identity characterisation tool’ was deductively developed. Findings showed that even though all had experienced the same activities, these student teachers had different expressions of identity. The characterisations of their identity were a complex interrelationship between their understandings and their professional and personal beliefs. The efficacy of this tool will be discussed along with implications for sustainability education professional learning.