Becoming a Social Studies Teacher: An Integrative Systems Perspective on Identity Content, Structure, and Processes

• In Event: Understanding Perspectives and Experiences of Preservice and New Social Studies Teachers

Abstract

Teacher identity maintains widespread currency as an organizing construct in social studies teacher education research. However, divergent applications of the term have precipitated substantial ambiguity about the meanings of social studies teacher identity and the nature of its change. In this paper, we propose an integrative framework that conceptualizes social studies teacher identity as a complex dynamic system of interdependent role-specific elements and contextualized emergent meanings. We apply the insights of dynamic systems theory to structure a review of social studies teacher education scholarship and identify well-explored and underexplored aspects of social studies teacher identity. We conclude with a discussion of the advantages of a unifying theory of social studies teacher identity for research and educational practice.

Authors

• Ishwar Bridgelal, Temple University

• Timothy Patterson, Temple University

• Avi Kaplan, Temple University