Teacher Identity Development Within Complex Sociocultural and Political Contexts: The Dynamic Systems Model of Role Identity

• In Event: Teacher Identity Development: Expanding Conceptualizations to Account for Changing and Challenging Contexts

Abstract

This paper presents an integrative review of teacher identity research that uses the Dynamic Systems Model of Role Identity (DSMRI; Authors, 2017) to conceptualize teachers’ roles in complex, challenging sociocultural and political contexts. The DSMRI is a complex dynamic systems (CDS) model that conceptualizes motivated action as based in the person’s role identity—their interpretation of who they are in a situated sociocultural role (e.g., a teacher) within a particular context or cultural activity system (e.g., a classroom). The DSMRI conceptualizes the role identity as a complex system that includes the co-action of elements from four categories: (a) ontological and epistemological beliefs, (b) purposes and goals, (c) self-perceptions and self-definitions, and (d) perceived action possibilities. This role identity system emerges continuously within control parameters that include features of people’s lived sociocultural contexts.
This integrative review (Torraco, 2005) examined 26 articles, three dissertations, and one book that used the DSMRI as a framework for understanding teachers’ identity change in various challenging contexts. We used an adapted form of the constant comparative method of analysis (Glaser, 2008) to yield thematic, theoretically informed insights.
A primary theme is that transitioning between role identities and contexts can prompt identity change. This theme was illustrated through four studies that examined how movement between familiar and unfamiliar cultural or professional development (PD) contexts can trigger identity change through the co-salience of learner and teacher role identities (Authors, 2019; Author et al, 2025; Cakir & Unlu, 2024; Chen & Huang, 2022). A second theme is that teachers’ prior role identities influence responses to changing and challenging environments. Four studies illustrated this theme, including research revealing the influence of teachers’ prior experiences with mathematics instruction on support for at-risk students’ sense of belonging (Matthews, 2020), and research highlighting how teachers’ role identities inform PD expectations (Authors et al., 2020). Third, we find that challenging sociocultural and political environments can limit teachers’ identity change. Studies providing insights include two documenting teachers’ awareness of school and community tensions as they consider change (Author et al., 2025; Korkut & Ozmen, 2023), and two noting how institutional priority changes created tensions among researcher, instructor, and mentor role identities (McAlister et al., 2022; Chaaban et al., 2023). Our fourth theme is that teachers’ negotiations of identity tensions are accompanied by multiple emotions. Five studies highlight this theme, including one describing how novice teachers’ emotions influenced decision making while teaching African American history (Author et al., 2023), and two describing how compliance with institutional policies was accompanied by confusion, overwhelm, happiness and joy (Pilny et al., 2023; Yang & Yin, 2024).
Teacher identity is increasingly recognized as arising from the reciprocal interplay of intraindividual and social, cultural, and political forces (Authors, 2019; Author et al., 2024). This timely review highlights areas of emerging consensus in DSMRI research and advances scholars’ capacity to support teacher identity development.

Authors

• Joanna K. Garner, Old Dominion University

• Avi Kaplan, Temple University