Date of Publication

3-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Psychology

Subject Categories

Teacher Education and Professional Development

College

Br. Andrew Gonzalez FSC College of Education

Department/Unit

Counseling and Educational Psychology

Thesis Advisor

Jerome A. Ouano

Defense Panel Chair

John Addy S. Garcia

Defense Panel Member

Christine Joy A. Ballada
Maria Alicia Bustos-Orosa
Kimberley Mendoza Migallos
Jasmine Nadja Junghan Pinugu

Abstract/Summary

Being the core of who teachers are and what they do, teacher professional identity (TPI) shapes teachers’ behavior and influences student learning. However, only a few studies concentrate on those who have stayed longer in the profession, particularly older and so-called ‘veteran’ teachers (VTs) with at least 20 years of experience. Aiming to provide insights into their TPI as crucial information to support their continued practice in promoting student achievement, this multiple case study approach explored how VTs in public school settings describe their TPI based on its essential features and teaching practices that reflect their identity. Two cases of VTs participated based on teaching position –Master Teacher I-III VTs and Teacher II-III VTs, generating qualitative data from semi-structured interviews, documentary analysis, and participant observations. Reflexive thematic analysis for each case and cross-case analysis revealed that VTs’ TPI is shaped by professional career milestones and personal life events. These VTs perceive their TPI as having several sub-identities based on professional growth, teaching role evolution, and expansion over their career stages. Various contextual factors strengthen VTs’ TPI, such as professional support from the principal and colleagues, motivational influences through family, and continual professional development activities, while also facing constraining factors such as teacher challenges and demotivators. VTs exercise their teacher agency by shaping their professional paths with engagement in professional growth and development. VTs’ TPI is reflected through a flexible application of established, time-tested strategies and innovative, ICT-based, learner-centered teaching practices. Finally, a veteran teacher professional identity model was developed, explaining the context-based nuances of their TPI. Conclusions and recommendations were discussed, which may be utilized for policy-making, program development, and future research, improving empirical knowledge on TPI.

Abstract Format

html

Language

English

Format

Electronic

Keywords

Teachers; Identity (Psychology); Teaching—Psychological aspects

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