Graduation Year

2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Ph.D.

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Degree Granting Department

Educational and Psychological Studies

Major Professor

Sarah Kiefer, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Bárbara C. Cruz, Ed.D.

Committee Member

Cheryl Ellerbrock, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Jenni Menon Mariano, Ph.D.

Keywords

beginning teacher, intersectionality, photovoice, teacher agency

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how marginalized and/or minoritized novice teachers make meaning of their teacher identity. An integrated theoretical framework informed this study using Hong et al.’s (2024) conceptualization of teacher identity, Crenshaw’s (1989) intersectionality, and Collins & Bilge’s (2020) definition of intersectionality. Utilizing the photovoice methodology, four focus groups were conducted with a purposeful sample of five novice teachers who identified as marginalized (i.e., gender, disability, LGBTQIA+) and/or minoritized (i.e., ethnic and/or racial minority). Using reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2023), I identified three themes: (1) Why I Became a Teacher, which included reflections on participants’ personal connections to teaching and their pivotal turning point experiences; (2) What Being a Teacher Means to Me, which were exemplified through participants’ reflections on supporting students and navigating challenges and (3) The Teacher I Want to Become, which encompassed reflections on participants being open to adapting and changing and also embracing risks and innovation in their future practice. The findings highlight the importance of understanding that the meaning-making of teacher identity is an intricate and ongoing process situated in a broader social-cultural-historical context. This study contributes to teacher identity research by including the voices of marginalized and/or minoritized novice teachers. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed, as well as limitations and future directions. This may inform educational researchers and practitioners who interact with novice teachers.

Download

Share

COinS