Mapping Teacher Change: A Two-Year Empirical Study.

This paper reports on findings from a research project aimed at examining teachers' change over time (the first 2 years of teaching) through their own perceptions, the perceptions of their students, and analyses of the school culture in which they work. Overall, a general pattern was found: most teachers developed according to a narrow, individual and classroom-oriented perspective, which was accompanied by a shift from a more inductive and student-centered approach to teaching towards a more traditional one. However, it was found that four teachers did develop and change in positive ways over time. Personal biography, namely prior experiences as students and student teachers, the influence of former teachers and relatives, and images of self-as-learner associated with perceptions of school culture and leadership, explaining both similarities and differences amongst teachers. Implications of the findings for understanding the (trans)formation of teacher identity, teacher socialization, and the role of schools in the continuing professional development of teachers are discussed. (Contains 58 references.) (Author/SM)