The Influence of Teacher Media Images on Professional Teacher Identities 1 Abstract
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The Influence of Teacher Media Images on Professional Teacher Identities Davina Kirby UCL, Institute of Education PhD 1 Declaration I, Davina Kirby confirm that the work presented in this thesis is my own. Where information has been derived from other sources, I confirm that this has been indicated in the thesis. Word count (exclusive of appendices and references) 91,567 2 Acknowledgements I would like to thank Professor Gary McCulloch and Doctor Jon Swain who were extremely supportive PhD supervisors over the past six years and, of course, Mr Chips. 3 ABSTRACT This study is a life history exploration into teachers’ responses to representations of teachers in media (television, film and reality documentaries), and the influence media have on the construction of professional teacher identities including teachers’ relationships with their students as part of their daily practice. Few studies have been carried out from the perspective of British teachers using narrative research methods. This research uniquely addresses teachers’ reactions to the reality documentaries that have recently emerged based on teachers and schools, many of which have been located in the UK. The research was conducted in my own school, a girls’ comprehensive secondary school in London, with a mixed sixth form from 2012 to 2014. 17 teachers were interviewed in depth, twice each, concluding with 7 of them for focus group interviews. The research showed that teachers reflect on their professional identity using teacher images in media as a stimulus in their narratives. The research demonstrated evidence of teachers developing their narratives from the start to the end, and some sticking to scripted, although rich, narratives throughout the research. Other sides to professional teacher identities also emerged including the performing nature necessary to be a teacher. Professional teacher identity, as well as pedagogy and practice, were heavily influenced by their teacher-student relationships, and it was the teacher-student relationships that were commonly noted in film, TV and reality documentaries. Teachers were able to recognise various teacher images in media, but some emotional responses surfaced, especially from teachers in the process of resigning from the school. Finally, in this study, the images that resonate in teachers’ minds do not include images from previous generations, thus teachers are much less conscious of the heritage of teacher images in media. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS TITLE – THE INFLUENCE OF TEACHER MEDIA IMAGES ON PROFESSIONAL TEACHER IDENTITIES 1 ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................................4 CONTENTS PAGE ................................................................................................................5-6 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................. 7-14 SECTION 1.1: A SUMMARY OF THE RESEARCH ...................................................................................... 7 SECTION 1.2: AIMS AND RATIONALE ............................................................................................... 7-9 SECTION 1.3: RESEARCHER’S BIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................ 9-11 SECTION 1.4: KEY WORKS OF RESEARCH ....................................................................................... 11-13 SECTION 1.5: RESEARCH QUESTIONS ................................................................................................. 13 SECTION 1.6: THESIS STRUCTURE ..................................................................................................... 14 CHAPTER 2: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ......................................................................... 15-27 CHAPTER 3: LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................................... 28-57 SECTION 3.1: THEORIES OF IDENTITY............................................................................................ 28-35 Subsection 3.1a Types of Identity..................................................................................... 32-34 Subsection 3.1b Identity as a Fluid Notion ....................................................................... 34-35 SECTION 3.2: PROFESSIONAL TEACHER IDENTITY AND POPULAR MEDIA ............................................... 36-42 Subsection 3.2a Teachers’ Professional Identity .............................................................. 37-38 Subsection 3.2b Tensions associated with Professional Teacher Identities ...................... 38-39 Subsection 3.2c Emotional Responses linked to Professional Teacher Identities ............. 39-40 Subsection 3.2d Performing a Professional Teacher Identity ........................................... 40-42 SECTION 3.3: THE HISTORY OF MEDIA AND TEACHERS IN MEDIA ...................................................... 43-51 Subsection 3.3a The History of Media ................................................................................... 43 Subsection 3.3b How Teacher Images in Film and Television have changed over time .... 44-48 Subsection 3.3c Understanding Professional Teacher Identity through Media ................ 48-51 SECTION 3.3: MERGING PROFESSIONAL TEACHER IDENTITY AND MEDIA.............................................. 52-53 SECTION 3.4. WHERE MY RESEARCH IS POSITIONED ........................................................................ 56-57 CHAPTER 4: METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................... 58-99 SECTION 4.1: RESEARCH DESIGN (SETTING AND SAMPLE) ................................................................. 61-65 SECTION 4.2: METHODS ............................................................................................................ 66-87 SECTION 4.3: ANALYSIS OF FINDINGS ........................................................................................... 88-95 SECTION 4.4: ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS ...................................................................................... 96-99 CHAPTER 5: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION: TEACHERS’ NARRATIVES ............................... 100-209 Matt ............................................................................................................................. 101-111 Mark ............................................................................................................................ 112-123 Jo ................................................................................................................................. 123-125 Walt ............................................................................................................................. 125-139 Joanne ......................................................................................................................... 139-147 Anne ............................................................................................................................ 147-153 Clarence ....................................................................................................................... 153-160 Michelle ....................................................................................................................... 160-169 Martin .......................................................................................................................... 169-180 Erin .............................................................................................................................. 180-189 5 Drew ............................................................................................................................ 189-196 Hilary ........................................................................................................................... 196-203 Ben ............................................................................................................................... 203-209 CHAPTER 6: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION: FOCUS GROUPS ............................................ 210-236 SECTION 6.1: THE NQT FOCUS GROUP........................................................................................... 210-215 SECTION 6.2: THE FINAL FOCUS GROUP .......................................................................................... 216-232 SECTION 6.3: FINDINGS FROM THE WHOLE GROUP DISCUSSION ....................................................... 232-236 CHAPTER 7: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION ...................................................................... 237-254 SECTION 7.3: THE RESEARCH QUESTIONS ........................................................................................ 237-238 SECTION 7.3: THE MAIN FINDINGS ................................................................................................. 238-252 SECTION 7.3: FURTHER FINDINGS FROM THE FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION ........................................... 252-254 CHAPTER 8: CONCLUSIONS .......................................................................................... 255-267 SECTION 8.1: HOW THE RESEARCH QUESTIONS WERE ANSWERED ................................................. 256-263 Subsection 8.1a Key Contributions ............................................................................... 256-257 SECTION 8.2: LIMITATIONS .................................................................................................... 263-264 SECTION 8.3: