Many teachers at university medical centres struggle with the poor reputation of teaching compared to research and patient care. Although professional development activities have been shown to... Show moreMany teachers at university medical centres struggle with the poor reputation of teaching compared to research and patient care. Although professional development activities have been shown to strengthen teachers' identification with teaching, the processes underlying this transformation remain unclear. This study uses a concurrent nested mixed-methods design with an emphasis on qualitative methods to investigate the ways in which teacher communities and teaching courses strengthen teachers' identities. The results show that both activities strengthen teachers' sense of competence. Additionally, while teaching courses strengthen teachers’ identification with the profession, teacher communities strengthen their sense of connectedness with other teachers. Show less
Van Lankveld, T.; Schoonenboom, J.; Volman, M.; Croiset, G.; Beishuizen, J. 2016
This literature review summarises the growing body of literature discussing teacher identities of university teachers. The aim was to understand what strengthens or constrains the development of a... Show moreThis literature review summarises the growing body of literature discussing teacher identities of university teachers. The aim was to understand what strengthens or constrains the development of a teacher identity. A qualitative synthesis of 59 studies was carried out. The review showed that several factors contribute to the development of teacher identity. While contact with students and staff development programmes were experienced as strengthening teacher identity, the wider context of higher education was experienced as having a constraining effect. Furthermore, the impact of the direct work environment was experienced as either strengthening or constraining, depending on whether or not teaching is valued in the department. Five psychological processes were found to be involved in the development of a teacher identity: a sense of appreciation, a sense of connectedness, a sense of competence, a sense of commitment, and imagining a future career trajectory. The findings suggest that developing a teacher identity in the higher education context is not a smooth process. In order to empower university teachers, it is important to reward teaching excellence and build community. Staff development activities can play a role in helping teachers to develop strategies for gaining confidence and taking active control of their work situation, both individually and collectively. The authors argue that more attention should be paid to the implicit messages that departments convey to their teaching faculty. Show less
Van Lankveld, T.; Schoonenboom, J.; Kusurkar, R.A.; Volman, M.; Beishuizen, J.; Croiset, G. 2016
Beginning medical teachers often see themselves as doctors or researchers rather than as teachers. Using both figured worlds theory and dialogical self theory, this study explores how beginning... Show moreBeginning medical teachers often see themselves as doctors or researchers rather than as teachers. Using both figured worlds theory and dialogical self theory, this study explores how beginning teachers in the field of undergraduate medical education integrate the teacher role into their identity. A qualitative study was performed, involving 18 beginning medical teachers at a Dutch medical school. The teachers were interviewed twice and kept a logbook over a period of 7 months. The study shows that the integration of the teacher role into the teachers’ identity was hampered by the idea that teaching is perceived by others as a low status occupation. Some teachers experienced significant tension because of this, while others showed resilience in resisting the negative associations that were thought to exist regarding teaching. The teachers used five different identity narratives in order to integrate the teacher role into their identity, in which the positions of teacher and doctor or researcher were found to be combined, adopted or rejected in diverse ways. The five identity narratives were: (1) coalition between the I-position of teacher and other I-positions; (2) no integration of the I-position of teacher: holding on to other I-positions; (3) construction of the I-position of teacher and other I-positions as opposites; (4) coalition between the I-position of teacher and a third position of coordinator; and (5) meta-position: trivialising the importance of status. These identity narratives offer starting points for supporting undergraduate teachers during their early professional years. Show less
Schenke, W.; Geijsel, F.; Van Driel, J.; Volman, M. 2016
