Teacher identity : crossing the technical-rationalist and affective divide

The authors argue for a professional education of teachers which adopts a strong social justice agenda, and that takes seriously both the technical-rationalist and affective components of teacher identity. While a rational approach to teacher education privileges student teachers’ content and pedagogical knowledge development, an affective approach prioritises the necessary influence of (student) teachers’ identities and emotional capacities on practice. However, one without the other limits the possibilities for doing critical and social justice education. Instead, the authors argue for a holistic approach in which student teachers consider how the messiness of working across disciplinary content knowledge, communities of practice, critical engagement, and diverse identities in socio-cultural context might actually provide a strong foundation for developing critical, responsive educational experiences