Teacher Identity (Re)Construction within Professional Learning Communities: The Role of Emotions and Tensions

The Process Of Identity (Re)Construction

Identity has gained importance in many fields as an analytical tool to understand human-behaviors in general, and teaching and learning processes particularly in education. According to Gee (2000), the concept of identity refers to “being recognized as a certain kind of person in a given context” (p. 1). Thus, identity should be evaluated in relation to particular contexts rather than described through fixed attributes such as gender, race and social group. Li (2011) emphasizes the role of context in identity construction as it “reflects how individuals see themselves and how they enact their roles within different settings” (p. 5). Adams and Marshall (1996) also state that interactions with the other members in one context have an impact on the understanding of identity, thus each context creates its own impact on identity construction.

Based on the perception of identity as a fluid and unstable construct depended on context and shaped by interaction with others, identity (re)construction is seen as a dynamic process changing from one context to another, and even leading individuals to develop more than one identity in one particular context (Danielewicz, 2001; Gee, 2000). Bullough (2005) also highlights that “identity formation is not a passive but a dynamic affair, that involves a giving and a withholding which simultaneously alters oneself and one’s context, with the result that alternative identities may form” (p. 146). Gee (2000) presents these multiple, but interrelated identities as follows.

(Adopted from Gee, 2000, p. 3)