STEM Teacher Identity Development in Professional Development Settings: A Secondary Physics Teacher's Perspective

• In Event: Interrogating, Emerging, and Developing: Teacher Identities in Flux

Abstract

This case study examines a secondary school physics teacher’s identity development in her attempts to implement integrated science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) teaching practices in a setting of professional development (PD) activities. Multiple qualitative data sources were collected within one year in an ethnographic approach, these include semi-structured interviews, observation field notes of teacher meetings and classroom teaching, and documents of STEM lesson plan and teacher written reflections. Analyzing from teacher cognitive and affective dimensions, findings reported the emerging of the teacher’s STEM teacher identity through participation in PD. And adjustments of teaching practices reflected teacher struggling in identity enactments influenced by time, student performances, and previous experiences. The paper is concluded with implications for PD schemes.

Authors

• Shudan Zheng, The University of Hong Kong

• Ka Wai Gary Wong, The University of Hong Kong