Being a teacher in China: A systematic review of teacher identity in education reform

Xiaoyi LIU, John Gilbert TRENT

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlespeer-review

Abstract

Education reformis expected to changeteacher'sidentity is expected to undergo changes, which in turn may influence various aspects of their professional life. As such, teacher identity in education reform context has received strong attention in the literature inthe last decade or so. This article providesa systematic and critical review of the empirical research published after 2010 on Chinese teachers' identity construction. It conceptualizesteacher identity construction in times of education reform and the factors mediating this process. A thematic synthesis was adopted to undertake the review of 28 articles. Teacher identity categories in K12 and tertiary education were extracted from the studies to give a contour of teacher identity trajectory. Teacher identities as thriving, as survival, and as exclusion emerge as the three main teacher identity categories. Guided by Wenger's identity theory, wethen discussthree types of teacher identity trajectories: contriveto thrive, adjust to survive, and alienate to wither; and three distinctive factor themes: power relations, agency, and emotion. This contextualized review unfolds stories and mediators of teacher identity construction against the backdrop of education reform in Chinathrough which implications for enhancing strong teacher identities are drawn. Copyright © 2023 Authors.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)267-293
JournalInternational Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research
Volume22
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2023

Citation

Liu, X., & Trent, J. (2023). Being a teacher in China: A systematic review of teacher identity in education reform. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 22(4), 267-293. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.22.4.15

Keywords

  • Teacher identity
  • Education reform
  • Systematic review
  • PG student publication

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