Personal, professional, political: an exploration of science teacher identity development for teaching climate change
Date
2018
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to investigate science teacher identity development as climate change educators. In applying the theoretical construct of identity as narrative to investigate the climate change related instructional experiences, I posed the overarching question: How do teachers’ lived experiences shape their science teacher identity development as a ‘teacher of climate change’? ☐ I used qualitative narrative inquiry methods to examine professional and personal stories of science teachers and their descriptions of instructional enactment of climate change lessons. I described the ways in which teachers draw on aspects of their teaching identity to navigate the opportunities and challenges encountered while teaching this controversial and complex, yet critically important science topic. I collected empirical data to form insights regarding how teachers negotiate competing demands while planning, implementing, and reflecting on their instruction. Data sources included multiple interviews with each teacher and teacher reflections. ☐ In analyzing the collected data, I determined how the identity narratives play a role in their enactment of climate change instruction. Results demonstrate how identity development for teaching climate change is embedded in one’s personal histories, professional teaching and learning experiences, and the political context. Through this process, I developed a conceptual model to show how these lived experiences influence patterns of identity development through five trends: Personal Valuation of Nature; Experiences in Science Teaching and Learning; Teacher Instructional Support and Agency; Epistemic Evidence-based Instruction; and Civic and Social Awareness via Socioscientific Literacy. The strength of enactment of these five trends leads to four possible constructions of identity. These four identities are: Passionate Environmentalist, Student Interest Engager, Content First Educator, and Civic & Epistemic Skills Promoter. ☐ The findings suggest that teacher identities for climate change are frequently multifaceted and these various identities are usually cohesive within an individual, but at times, they may present competing tensions for enactment. Additionally, this study demonstrates the critical need to support educators to strengthen their perceptions of instructional agency to effectively overcome challenges to the enactment of climate change lessons. Implications for teaching, teacher education, educational policy, and educational research related to climate change education and science teacher identity development are also presented.
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Keywords
Education, Earth sciences, Climate change, Science teacher identity