“I Do What I Do Because It Is the Right Thing to Do…” A Narrative Inquiry Into Three Latina Educators’ Trajectories of Professional Identity Development

• In Event: Social Considerations in Education: Narrative Spaces for Understanding

Abstract

This paper explores the stories of three Latina educators to describe the shifting trajectories of their professional identities to show how their work can “improve education and serve the public good”. We use narrative inquiry and oral history/autobiographical methods to uncover their stories within the context of daily classroom practice. Each participant’s story highlights her professional identity development trajectory as she became an educator, continued her education, and shifted in roles, identity, and congruence between ideological stance and practice. All three struggled with, against, and for their own identities in order to move forward in their work. The collective stories of these and other teachers can help us move toward constructing equitable educational experiences for all.

Authors

• Sharon H. Ulanoff, California State University - Los Angeles

• Joan C. Fingon, California State University - Los Angeles

• Alice Maris Leilani Quiocho, California State University - San Marcos