TY  - UNPB
TI  - Change in self-concept as a teacher during and after a course of initial teacher training : A longitudinal study
UR  - http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?did=1&uin=uk.bl.ethos.535073
EP  - 369
AV  - public
ID  - discovery10020555
N1  - Thesis: (PhD) University of London Institute of Education, 2009.
PB  - Institute of Education, University of London
A1  - Smith, John Devlin
Y1  - 2008///
M1  - Doctoral
N2  - The concept of the self is undergoing a revival of interest part of which centres
on its dynamical properties and capacity for change. That self-concept can
change is no longer a contested idea, the key question is how? One
explanation, examined in this thesis, is that possible selves (Markus and Nurius,
1986) play a central, systemic, role in the self-regulation of self-concept.
The thesis examines change in self-concept as a teacher occurring during and
after a programme of initial teacher training (ITT) in order to contribute to
knowledge and to inform educators and trainers about the process of personal
and professional change. The research question asks: How are actual and
possible selves involved in the development of self-concept as a teacher? What
role does self-regulation play in the process of transformation?
Following Sternberg (1997), the many metaphors for self-concept extant were
catalogued to create a synoptic overview of the literature. This was refined,
using the systemic and dimensional properties of each metaphor, to create a
dynamical perspective and presented as a Metaphor Matrix of Self-Concept.
The matrix, plus a review of teacher training literature and research studies on
teachers' lives, was used to inform the empirical research for the thesis, a fourstage
longitudinal study of 19 trainees completing a course of ITT collecting
data at each stage using semi-structured interviews.
Although most trainees felt personally unchanged, reflective and deliberate
practice during training stimulated interactive changes in actual and ideal self as
a teacher. Once in post as qualified teachers, both constructs became focused
on coping with daily routine. Overall, the thesis provides an alternative
perspective on the self-concept literature, a revised interpretation of the
possible selves construct, a novel explanation of the way self-concept as a
teacher develops, and offers practical strategies for supporting CPD in schools
post-training.
ER  -