Education Commons^™

Exploring How Second-Career Teachers Construct A New Professional Identity: A Narrative Inquiry Study, Bethany Pflug

Doctor of Education (EdD)

This qualitative, narrative inquiry explored how second-career teachers constructed their new professional identity as a teacher. Through personal, in-depth interviews, the study analyzed how each participant constructed their professional identity. Four common themes were found among the participants in how they constructed their professional identity: professional identity shaped by identity as a parent, professional identity as shaped by personal identity, professional identity as shaped by prior professional skills and experiences, and professional identity as shaped by social context. In addition to these themes, each participant had unique ways in which they constructed their professional identity as at teacher which did …