Exploring the use of Mentorship and Identity
Structure Analysis in Combination
Amanda Turner
Programme Leader: Generic 14+ PGCE University of Bolton
Julie Prescott
Reader: Psychology
University of Bolton
Graham Passmore
Associate Professor: Lakehead University
What was the aim of the project?
To use a structured approach to identity analysis in order to
inform the mentoring sessions for trainee teachers
This also provided an opportunity to explore the way that
professional identity is shaped through the experience
•
This can be achieved through mentoring
•
In collaboration with others
What is professional identity?
•
Kerby (1991), argues that identity evolves continuously as
experiences are evaluated and re-evaluated
•
This happens in terms of social context and the concept of self
(Beijaard, Meijer and Verloop, 2004)
•
Trainee teachers have a number of years experiencing and
observing teachers, often making judgements about the role,
hence many enter their own teacher training with a strong idea
about teacher identity (Lortie, 1975).
•
The trainee is often forced to shift their conceptions about
How does ISA work?
•
Passmore, et al. (2014) affirmed that ISA is suited to identity
assessment in ways that are sensitive to knowledge of self and
to personal and contextual facets of identity
•
Passmore and Hart (2018) argue for the use of ISA as a way to
augment current approaches to teacher professional
development (PD) by bringing teachers in as active partners in
mentoring processes
•
Identity Structure Analysis (ISA) surveys hold a series of bipolar
constructs and a series of entities. Bipolar constructs represent
factors in various life (work, home, social) domains that may
influence identity development; entities represent people likely
to influence identity formation (person they admire at home
and work).
•
Participants in an ISA study rate each of the bipolar constructs
Summary of September 2017 Results (1 trainee)
Conflicted Constructs
1. depends on others when making decisions Vs prefers to work things out alone
2. is straightforward with people Vs plays games with people (core construct)
3. follows a firm agenda when dealing with difficulties Vs deals with difficulties creatively
• The first mentorship session focused on the teacher’s concerns rather than the findings of the ISA analysis and the shift in identity seen
• Initially a core construct became a matter of stress and conflict. • Sense of intimidation over new surroundings of her placement
• ‘I think I may have been a little bit intimidated by it at first.’
• This pitted against how she sees her natural internal state ‘I'm like as cool as
Summary of September 2017 Results
• She felt she didn’t have all the information (the keys) to the school.
• At the start of placement she needed to ask for help when asked to do something (eg a Scheme of Work), but instead of asking for help she avoided doing the task.
‘I don’t like to seem like I don’t know what I am doing.’
• As a result of mentoring she acknowledged a problem
• She reached a level of comfort and was able to ask questions
• Her school mentor is inconsistent in discipline strategies
• This added to her uncertainty because the example set is confusing
‘I'm quite adaptable, so I would eventually be happy with it. I think just initially I was like "Ooh."
Summary of September 2017 Results
•
She struggled with learning to walk a line that is not a
natural fit to her state of being.
•
She was feeling her way forward and had to depend on
her school mentor for guidance on how to act so as to fit
in.
•
This caused conflict: prefers to work on her own ‘depend
on others in making decisions Vs prefer to work things out
alone.’
•
She again experienced conflict in regard to ‘follows a firm
agenda when dealing with difficulties Vs deals with
difficulties creatively.’ This is exacerbated by her lack of
comfort with the formal and implicit rules in her
Summary of January 2018 Results
The conflicts remained the same:
• The issue around playing games with people or being straightforward with
them has its roots in the teacher’s feeling that she has to both speak and dress in ways that differ from normal
• It also has origins in the behaviour of the school mentor who is seen to
operate in different ways according to the people she is around
• She is aware that the school mentor is at an advantage because she has
taught the students for several years so they accord her a greater level of respect than is the case for the trainee
However:
• Initial concerns adapting to a new placement have been resolved
• Frustration with limited teaching hours results in a conflict where she is not
sure if teaching is the ‘finest of jobs’ and she feels that she is not ‘a fully functioning member of staff’
The results for the trainee
• The most interesting insights concern the construct ‘depends on others when making decisions Vs prefers to work things out alone.’
• In September 2017 the teacher was experiencing some conflict and stress. By simply identifying this was an area of concern the mentor invoked
awareness in the teacher and a desire for change.
• After an initial expression of surprise the teacher sought explanation (intimidation over the newness and formality of her placement) and a solution which turned to be an attempt to try to relax and ask more questions.
• The impact of pointing out that asking for help was an issue and the subsequent actions of the teacher were remarkable.
• “I went away (from the session) and thought, Oh, yeah, that’s right, that makes sense!”
Conclusion
• ISA was sensitive to the significant changes that took place in the teachers’ life and identity between September 2017 and January 2018
• ISA was sensitive to more subtle changes in position held by the teacher through January, March and April 2018, as her living situation returned to normal, as her relationship with her school mentor developed, and as she adapted to the newness and stresses of her placement
• While a complete return to the position held in September 2017 was not witnessed, we reason that the changes that remain result from growth of the teacher as she adapted to her placement and to the realities of teaching in general
Contribution to Knowledge
Richer understanding about professional relationships and
enables structured and focused mentoring
Development of particular
