Be(com)ing a teacher in challenging circumstances : sustaining commitment or giving up?

This chapter draws upon a larger study on (beginning) teachers and on their experiences of being a teacher in challenging circumstances. The aim is to look at the ways in which changes in policy and school context, as well as in personal and professional context, impact upon teachers’ professional identity over time. Two beginning teachers’ accounts are used to illustrate the key influencing factors that have impacted upon the development of professional identities. Four main themes emerged: i) the influence of context, both at a policy and social level and at a school level; ii) the importance of relationships in teaching, particularly with students and colleagues; iii) the emergence of inner tensions resulting from the mismatch between strong beliefs and reality; iv) the role of emotions in (re)defining teachers’ practice of teaching and teachers’ identity development. The chapter concludes with the discussion of the findings and their implications.CIEC - Centro de Investigação em Estudos da Criança, UM (UI 317 da FCT