Role of a Professional Learning Community in the Reconstruction of  Teachers’ Identities as they Transition to Pre-K in Public Elementary Schools

Soga, Caroline Li

Role of a Professional Learning Community in the Reconstruction of Teachers’ Identities as they Transition to Pre-K in Public Elementary Schools

Files

Soga_hawii_0085A_10648.pdf (866.41 KB)

Date

2020

Authors

Soga, Caroline Li

Advisor

Yamauchi, Lois

Department

Educational Psychology

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze the role a professional learning community plays in the reconstruction of teachers’ professional identities as they begin teaching in a pre-K classroom setting. Sociocultural theories of identity were utilized to understand the internal personal processes that teachers experienced while teaching in a new context and participating in a professional learning community. This was a case study of the Executive Office of Early Learning’s 2018-19 professional learning community, focused on 12 teachers and their experiences as they transitioned to teaching pre-K. The research questions were: (a) What are the experiences of teachers as they transition to teaching pre-K? and (b) In what ways and to what extent does participating in a professional learning community contribute to teacher identity reconstruction during this transition? The data suggested three themes that have implications for professional learning communities as a support system for teachers as they transition to public pre-K. First, immersing teachers and principals in early childhood education content and providing them with knowledge of developmentally appropriate practices during the professional learning community, enabled teachers to feel supported to implement these practices in their own classrooms. Second, the intentional focus on the importance of relationship building during the professional learning community was pivotal to the teachers’ identity reconstruction process. Finally, participating in a professional learning community during the transition year to a pre-K classroom, empowered the teachers to view themselves as pre-K teachers. As a result of this research, it is clear that teacher professional development in general and professional learning communities in particular, need to focus deliberately on identity development if change in practice is the desired outcome.

Keywords

Educational psychology, Early childhood education, Early Childhood Education, Elementary School, Pre-K, Professional Learning Community, Teacher Identity, Transition

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10125/68983

Extent

136 pages

Rights

All UHM dissertations and theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission from the copyright owner.

Collections

Ph.D. - Educational Psychology

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