3.4.2 Professional Life Phase 4–7 Years—Developing
Professional Identity
Promotion and additional responsibilities had now begun to play a significant role
in teachers’motivation, commitment and sense of effectiveness. Most VITAE
teachers (78%) in this phase had additional responsibilities and particularly stressed
the importance of promotion to their growing professional identity. This suggests
that for many teachers this professional life phase is not a stabilisation period.
Rather, it is a period in which teachers, whilst consolidating their professional
identities in their classrooms, also have challenges beyond these.
Three sub-groups of teachers were identified: (a) those who were sustaining a
strong sense of identity, self-efficacy and effectiveness; (b) those who were
coping/managing identity, efficacy and effectiveness; and (c) those whose identity,
efficacy and effectiveness were at risk. An important difference between sub-groups
(a) and (b) was that the latter group had a stronger concern over their ability to
manage their heavy workloads. Teachers in sub-group (c) felt that their identity,
efficacy and effectiveness were at risk because of workload and difficult life events.
Support from the school/departmental leadership, colleagues and pupils con-
tinued to be of importance to teachers in this phase who demonstrated a primary
concern about their confidence and feelings of being effective. In contrast with
professional life phase 0–3, there were more frequent references made to heavy
workload, which was seen as reducing their teaching effectiveness. The need for
classroom knowledge and knowledge of external policies was markedly less, role
effectiveness similar, and CPD which focused upon professional and personal
development needs had become more important.
3.4.3 Pat’s Story: The Leadership Effect
Pat was 36 years old, a classroom teacher and science coordinator at herfirst
school, where she has taught for 3 years. Prior to this she had run a‘parent and
toddler’(small child) group.
Pat had always enjoyed teaching and working with the children, who she
described as,‘delightful’. She gained immense pleasure and satisfaction from her
pupils’good results, progress and achievements. Her confidence and sense of
efficacy had greatly increased as a consequence of their good results. Pat’s workline
shows that support and recognition from strong leadership and the transformation of
negative cultures in her school had solidified her long-term commitment to teach-
ing. Not surprisingly, she had highly positive views on the school leadership. She
described the new head as‘exceptional’:
42 Q. Gu