A challenge for teacher education programs is preparing novice teachers to utilize progressive teaching practices for the purpose of leveraging student learning. When novice teachers are placed in challenging contexts, progressive practices are often under-utilized and replaced with traditional methods that are more teacher-centered. How best to prepare teachers for various teaching contexts requires an appreciation of factors that influence the professional identity and shape the actions of teachers. For this study, I took a sociocultural lens, which placed teachers as individuals who act within larger systems of power. I used figured worlds as a lens through which to investigate the factors that influence teacher agency as it mediates and is mediated by novice teacher's professional identity. This case study investigated three first-year science teachers in high-needs schools. Through the narratives told by these teachers about the culture and systems of power of their schools, I sought to gain insight into their teaching practices and agentic actions. I also sought to investigate these actions as they relate to the professional identities they develop within their figured worlds.
Read
