Developing Teacher Identity while Creating Culturally Authentic Materials

Teacher candidates enter teacher education programs as part of the process of becoming professional educators. As they progress through these programs, their thinking and beliefs about teaching and being a teacher are supported or challenged and their professional identity is developed. Traditionally, these programs provide course work and practica aimed towards learning theory and practical knowledge, but these and other opportunities can influence teacher candidates’ subsequent identity development as well. This study looked at the professional identity development of three teacher education students, who created culturally authentic stories and educational materials for students in Thailand. Using grounded theory, various data sources were triangulated to discover if the teacher education students developed their professional identity in an ‘other space.’ Results showed that ample opportunities were provided to express, examine, and adjust how the teacher candidates see themselves as emerging professionals in the classroom.