Teacher Identity Development Within a Community of Practice

The development and refinement of a professional teacher identity forms an integrated part of both pre- and in-service teachers. More specifically, any person entering the teaching profession needs to engage in reflexive practice when standing in front of a class and putting theory into practice. By understanding one's strengths and areas for further development, a teacher can build self-confidence and develop a repertoire of skills and resources that can be mobilised within the school context. This book makes a valuable contribution to the existing knowledge base and current debates on professional teacher identity development and how this can be supported by higher education institutions offering teacher training programmes. More specifically, professional identity development is linked to the importance of a community of practice, where joint reflection and action can add value to the continued development of any teacher. The contribution of this book to scholarship is regarded as ground-breaking, as it is based on recent research conducted with pre-service teachers over a period of three years. In addition to the pioneering contribution to existing literature in the fields of teacher identity development and community of practice theory, the publication has practical application value for teachers and practitioners already in the profession. Based on the participatory nature of the methodological approach followed for the FIRE research project, the importance of agency, collaboration within a community of practice, joint reflection and continued action is illustrated. More specifically, the way in which the teachers-in-becoming engaged in cycles of reflection and action while taking joint responsibility for their professional development in communication with others in the field demonstrates how continued participatory research by people on ground level can result in not only theory building but also in positive change and continued future development in practice.