Teacher Candidate Identity Development in a Neoliberal Context

• In Event: Constructing a Counterstory: Experiences and Testimonies of Prospective Teachers of Color

Abstract

This study sought to understand the tensions experienced by one teacher candidate of color when he was placed in a selective enrollment charter high school for his student teaching placement. Over the semester, values tensions and practice tensions emerged, characterized by racial and social dynamics, market logics, and test preparation. Tension between the candidate’s values and the charter school’s policies led the teacher candidate to engage in defensive identity-agency work (Ruohotie-Lyhty, 2018) intended to distinguish himself from problematic school policies. While research has been done on teachers’ experiences in charter schools, less is known about how this context intersects with candidate identity development. This study illuminates the racial, social, and political complexities with one candidate’s narratives.

Author

• Meghan A Kessler, University of Illinois Springfield