Developing an identity as a secondary school mathematics teacher: Identification and negotiability in communities of practice

Abstract

The paper reports from analyses of one Norwegian secondary school mathematics teacher (Isaac) in his transition from university teacher education to employment in secondary school. The process of becoming a mathematics teacher is studied in terms of identity, based on the teacher’s participation within and at the boundaries of communities of practice at university and school. Adopting a longitudinal case-study design and methods from narrative analysis, the case of Isaac displays tensions between desires for own mathematics teaching and experiences of possibilities in practice. The case illustrates how the concept of identity is helpful for gaining insight into mathematics teachers’ ability and legitimacy to contribute to, and take responsibility for, the meanings that matter regarding mathematics, its teaching and learning, in their professional debut.