Teacher Professional Identity as a Foundation for Professional Development

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31305/rrijm.2025.v10.n11.043

Keywords:

teacher identity, professional development, teacher education

Abstract

This article examines the concept of professional development of teachers through the lens of teacher professional identity. NEP 2020 has called upon preparing 21st century teachers while recommending 50 hours of professional development annually. The paper draws on theoretical frameworks from psychology, sociology, and educational theory to argue that identity- being multifaceted, dynamic, and context-dependent- must be central to professional development design. It discusses the traditional professional development approaches that fail by treating teachers as rational actors requiring standardized skill transmission. Professional development in the Indian context is examined, revealing that despite infrastructure like NISHTHA and DIKSHA, programs continue to position teachers as passive recipients. The paper concludes that identity-informed approaches which are bottom-up, context-responsive, and community-based are essential for effective professional development.

Author Biographies

Ankita Rawat, Research Scholar, School of Education, Central University of Gujarat

Ankita Rawat is a Research Scholar in the School of Education at the Central University of Gujarat, India. She holds a Bachelor of Elementary Education degree from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, University of Delhi, and a Master’s degree in Political Science from Gargi College, University of Delhi. She completed her M.Ed. from the Department of Education, University of Delhi, India. She is a recipient of the UGC-NET Junior Research Fellowship (2019) and UGC-NET Senior Research Fellowship (2022), Ankita has professional teaching experience as a Primary Teacher at Delhi Public School, Vasant Vihar, Delhi, India where she undertook academic and administrative responsibilities, including curriculum design. Her academic engagements include participation in national workshops, seminars, and certificate programs on education, sustainability, and child development. Her research interests include teacher professional identity, comparative education, and the sociology of education.

Shamim Aara Hussain, Assistant Professor, School of Education, Central University of Gujarat

Dr. Shamim Aara Hussain is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Education, School of Education, Central University of Gujarat, where she has been serving since 2018. She previously worked as an Assistant Professor at Gyanodaya Degree College, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India. She holds a B.Ed. (2009), M.Ed. (2011), and M.A. in History (2015) from Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya (DAVV), Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India, and a Master’s in Psychology from IGNOU (2024). She also earned her Ph.D. from DAVV Indore. Her areas of expertise include Educational Research and SPSS, Educational Psychology, Special and Inclusive Education, Educational Guidance and Counselling, Educational Technology, and Science Education. She has supervised doctoral research on bilingual teaching, emotional intelligence, and the educational challenges of marginalized learners. She is actively engaged in academic and professional service through her membership in the All India Adult Education Association (Lifetime Member), her role as a Member of the Hindi Promotion Committee at Gujarat Vidyapith, Ahmedabad, and her service on the Board of Studies for B.A.B.Ed. at Sabarmati University. She has also contributed to several school- and university-level committees within the School of Education, Central University of Gujarat. Her research interests include inclusive education, teacher preparation, and evidence-based educational practice.

References

Aalam, M., & Bushra, F. (2024). Use of DIKSHA and NISHTHA app by in-service teachers to shift to online learning after pandemic. International Journal of Advanced Research in Education and Technology. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/378184644

Apat, B., & Swain, P. K. (2023). Calibrating the lives and lived experiences of teachers in India: A plea for research. Research in Educational Policy and Management, 5(2), 34–51. https://doi.org/10.46303/repam.2023.8

Batra, P. (2014). Problematising teacher education practice in India: Developing a research agenda. Education as Change, 18(sup1), S5–S18. https://doi.org/10.1080/16823206.2013.877358

Beijaard, D., Meijer, P. C., & Verloop, N. (2004). Reconsidering research on teachers’ professional identity. Teaching and Teacher Education, 20(2), 107–128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2003.07.001

Beijaard, D., Verloop, N., & Vermunt, J. D. (2000). Teachers’ perceptions of professional identity: An exploratory study from a personal knowledge perspective. Teaching and Teacher Education, 16(7), 749–764. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0742-051X(00)00023-8

Canrinus, E. T., Helms-Lorenz, M., Beijaard, D., Buitink, J., & Hofman, A. (2012). Self-efficacy, job satisfaction, motivation and commitment: Exploring the relationships between indicators of teachers’ professional identity. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 27(1), 115–132. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-011-0069-2

Cardoso, I., Batista, P., & Graça, A. (2014). Professional Identity in Analysis: A Systematic Review of the Literature. The Open Sports Sciences Journal, 7(1), 83–97. https://doi.org/10.2174/1875399X01407010083

Clarke, M., Atwal, J., Raftery, D., Liddy, M., Ferris, R., Sloan, S., Kitanova, M., & Regan, E. (2023). Female teacher identity and educational reform: Perspectives from India. Teacher Development, 27(4), 415–430. https://doi.org/10.1080/13664530.2023.2219645

Day, C., & Kington, A. (2008). Identity, well‐being and effectiveness: The emotional contexts of teaching. Pedagogy, Culture & Society, 16(1), 7–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681360701877743

Erikson, E. H. (1968). Identity: Youth and crisis. Norton & Co.

Gee, J. P. (2000). Chapter 3: Identity as an Analytic Lens for Research in Education. Review of Research in Education, 25(1), 99–125. https://doi.org/10.3102/0091732X025001099

Hayes, D. (2000). Cascade training and teachers' professional development. ELT Journal, 54(2), 135–145. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/54.2.135

Kale, P. (1970). The Guru and the Professional: The Dilemma of the Secondary School Teacher in Poona, India. Comparative Education Review, 14(3), 371–376. https://doi.org/10.1086/445497

Kaur, M. (2018). Exploring teachers professional identity: Role of teacher emotions in developing professional identity. Bioscience Biotechnology Research Communications, 11(4), 719–726. https://doi.org/10.21786/bbrc/11.4/24

Kelchtermans, G. (2009). Who I am in how I teach is the message: Self‐understanding, vulnerability and reflection. Teachers and Teaching, 15(2), 257–272. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540600902875332

Khan, A. (2017). The theory of teacher professional development and the reality of practice within the educational context of India. Research Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 8(1), 13. https://doi.org/10.5958/2321-5828.2017.00002.X

Martínez-de-la-Hidalga, Z., & Villardón-Gallego, L. (2019). Teacher Identity Research and Development. In Z. Martínez-de-la-Hidalga & L. Villardón-Gallego, Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education (pp. 1–24). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.013.287

Mead, G. H. (1934). Mind, Self, and Society from the Standpoint of a Social Behaviorist. Chicago.

Menter, I. (with London & Arts Council of England). (2010). Teachers - formation, training and identity: A literature review. CCE.

Ministry of Education. (2019). National Initiative for School Heads' and Teachers' Holistic Advancement (NISHTHA). Government of India. https://www.india.gov.in/spotlight/nishtha

Ministry of Education. (2025). Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) 2024-25. Government of India. https://udiseplus.gov.in/

Ministry of Human Resource Development. (2020). National Education Policy 2020. Government of India. https://www.education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/ files/NEP_Final_English_0.pdf

Mockler, N. (2011). Beyond ‘what works’: Understanding teacher identity as a practical and political tool. Teachers and Teaching, 17(5), 517–528. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2011.602059

NCERT. (2017). Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing (DIKSHA). National Council of Educational Research and Training. https://diksha.gov.in/about

OECD (Ed.). (2009). Creating Effective Teaching and Learning Environments: First Results from TALIS (1. Aufl). OECD. https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264068780-en

Perry, K. E., Donohue, K. M., & Weinstein, R. S. (2007). Teaching practices and the promotion of achievement and adjustment in first grade. Journal of School Psychology, 45(3), 269–292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2007.02.005

Polly, D., McGee, J., Wang, C., Martin, C., Lambert, R., & Pugalee, D. K. (2015). Linking professional development, teacher outcomes, and student achievement: The case of a learner-centered mathematics program for elementary school teachers. International Journal of Educational Research, 72, 26–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2015.04.002

Sachs, J. (2001). Teacher professional identity: Competing discourses, competing outcomes. Taylor & Francis, 16(2), 149–161. https://doi.org/10.1080/02680930116819

Sarangapani, P. M. (2020). A Cultural View of Teachers, Pedagogy and Teacher Education. In P. M. Sarangapani & R. Pappu (Eds.), Handbook of Education Systems in South Asia (pp. 1–24). Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3309-5_27-1

Shrivastava, S. (2024). Study on efficacy of Nishtha Programme on school teachers. International Journal of Novel Research and Development, 9(6). https://www.ijnrd.org/papers/IJNRD2406165.pdf

Singh, V., & Sarma, S. (2025, January 30). Rethinking professional development for teachers in India. India Development Review. https://idronline.org/article/education/rethinking-professional-development-for-teachers-in-india/

Sriprakash, A. (2011). Being a Teacher in Contexts of Change: Education Reform and the Repositioning of Teachers’ Work in India. Contemporary Education Dialogue, 8(1), 5–31. https://doi.org/10.1177/097318491000800102

Steinert, Y., Mann, K., Anderson, B., Barnett, B. M., Centeno, A., Naismith, L., Prideaux, D., Spencer, J., Tullo, E., Viggiano, T., Ward, H., & Dolmans, D. (2016). A systematic review of faculty development initiatives designed to enhance teaching effectiveness: A 10-year update: BEME Guide No. 40. Medical Teacher, 38(8), 769–786. https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2016.1181851

Villegas-Reimers, E. (2003). Teacher professional development: An international review of the literature. International Institute for Educational Planning.

Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: Learning, meaning, and identity (pp. xv, 318). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511803932

Downloads

Published

15-11-2025

How to Cite

Rawat, A., & Hussain, S. A. (2025). Teacher Professional Identity as a Foundation for Professional Development. RESEARCH REVIEW International Journal of Multidisciplinary, 10(11), 424–434. https://doi.org/10.31305/rrijm.2025.v10.n11.043

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 11 (2025): RESEARCH REVIEW International Journal of Multidisciplinary

Section

Articles

License

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0).