Teachers' Roles and Identities in Peer-Mediated Learning Environments

• In Event: 26.077 - Teens Teaching and Leading: The Peer-Enabled Restructured Classroom in Urban STEM

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the impacts of working in peer-mediated classrooms and preparing peer leaders for their roles on teachers at different developmental stages. Research questions examine how the teachers think about themselves as they participate in the PERC Program, the challenges they face as their roles and identities shift, and the ways they grow or resist growth across their years of involvement.

This work builds on Grier and Johnston’s (2009) argument that, “Teacher identity is based upon the core beliefs one has about teaching and being a teacher that are constantly changing and evolving based upon personal and professional experiences” (p. 59). Further, “teachers’ identities are central to the beliefs, values, and practices that guide their engagement, commitment, and actions in and out of the classroom” (Cohen, 2008, p.80). The literature demonstrates that past experiences affect teacher identity, which then modulates their pedagogical choices (Eick & Reed, 2002; Rex & Nelson, 2004). The current study uses this framework of teacher identity to investigate the relationships among teachers’ classroom roles and responsibilities, the ways they think of themselves as professionals, and their attitudes and beliefs about their students.

The study uses qualitative methods to inquire into issues of teacher identity and development. It incorporates a variety of data sources including interviews with pre-service and in-service teachers, students, mentors and administrators, reflective writing and evaluations, and classroom observations. Data was collected across five years and involved 56 teachers. Following Yin (2009), the various data sets were analyzed and interpreted to develop findings, themes, and patterns.

Presentation of the findings in this study will involve descriptions of patterns in the data and evidence that illustrates these patterns, including participants’ reflections and segments of classroom events. These patterns include identity and pedagogy shifts for all pre-service teachers and the majority of in-service teachers. For example, while many pre-service teachers initially believed that the teacher’s role is content delivery, they now wanted to work in classrooms where students supported each other’s learning, guided by the teacher. With few exceptions, in-service teachers described shifts in their beliefs about what students could do to help themselves and their peers learn, and thus in what they as teachers needed to do to facilitate maximum learning. Many teachers described struggling to adapt to new roles and identities, but most argued that they did not want to revert to their pre-PERC selves. Mentors and administrators reported witnessing challenges to teacher identity and the changes that both caused and resulted from these identity shifts, or led a teacher to drop out of the Program.

This study demonstrates the way that radically changing the learning environment can affect teachers’ identities and their approaches to teaching. These identity changes led the teachers to gain insights about the individual learners in their classroom, seeing the adolescents’ true potential as learners and peer leaders. With these insights came the realization that greater diversity and equity of roles in the classroom achieved both learning gains and a more just learning environment.

Author

• Leslie Keiler, York College - CUNY