Crisis and change of teachers´ professional identities in secondary schooling in Argentina

MEO, ANALÍA

Bristol, Reino Unido

Congreso; Annual Conference of the SOCIETY FOR LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES SLAS; 2010

Society for Latin American Studies

During the last three decades, there has been a growing international and national interest in the social construction of teachers´ professional identities. The difficulties to implement educational reforms in different socio-political scenarios have made apparent the centrality of teachers, their perspectives and identities in educational policy. This paper presents some results of two qualitative research projects in Argentina (carried out between 2004 and 2008). These studies were carried out in four state secondary schools, belonging to different “circuits of schooling”. The term “circuit of schooling” refers to material and symbolic differences between schools and groups of schools contributing to unequal school experiences and learning, which contribute to the reproduction of social advantages and disadvantages of their students. This paper looks at teachers´ professional identities, focusing the attention on the ways in which they define their job, responsibilities, and boundaries. It argues that the strong differentiation between schools impacts on the ways in which teachers define their professional identities. It unpacks the emergence of new ways of seeing of teachers and schools´ role. These new and critical perspectives challenge the foundations of the traditional secondary school system.