All that came with me...: Imprints on the professional identity and personal teaching models of novice biology teachers

Abstract

Given the importance of the process of integrating novice teachers into the workforce and their understanding of the need to rethink both initial and ongoing teacher education, we investigated how personal backgrounds and admission into new work environments influence the professional identity and personal didactic models put into practice by novice teachers in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Based on the analysis of autobiographies, interviews, lesson plans, class observation records, and didactic materials of eight teachers, we came to the following conclusions: most teachers' initial contributions to training focus on professional practices, as they bring back the practices they experienced during their education. Furthermore, the relationships with students played a critical role in reflections on the role of teachers and reconstruction of their own identities and teaching models. This study represents a development in the field of study on didactic models and the identity constructions of inexperienced teachers.

Keywords
Professional identity; Initial teacher training; Personal teaching model; Autobiography