Practising fiercely : fulfilment through stance, supports and stamina : a participatory narrative inquiry of specialist teachers' practice in Aotearoa New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Ph.D. in Education at Massey University, Albany, Aotearoa New Zealand
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Date
2017
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Massey University
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Abstract
Teachers work within a range of personal and contextual factors that serve as enablers
and barriers to their professional identity, practice and wellbeing. There is a need to
explore their perspectives of the current education context, and their roles within it, to
better understand the ways teachers experience and position themselves within and
against the tensions posed by an increasingly complex world. This research is timely as
it investigates an emerging group of professionals, specialist teachers in Aotearoa New
Zealand, who integrate postgraduate study with new professional roles and the other
facets of their lives. Using a participatory narrative inquiry, steeped in positive
psychology and biculturally responsive practice, the present study identifies
connections across identity, practice and wellbeing as knowing oneself and
conceptualizing practice as relational; ecological and contextualized; challenging and
requiring lifelong learning. Alongside the enablers of trust and agency, the research
foregrounds the tensions of working in a system straddling special and inclusive
education and other unintended barriers to professional practice. Enablers, tensions
and mediating variables are unpacked with a focus on the way agentic professionals
navigate their personal and professional lives. Findings from the present study
informed the development of a framework for the fulfilment of teachers through
fierce practice comprised of stance, supports and stamina. This framework has utility
at the individual level, supporting the fulfilment of individual teachers. At the systems
level, the framework may be of interest to tertiary teachers and institutions wishing to
help teachers to develop and sustain meaningful and satisfying lives.
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Keywords
Special education teachers, Inclusive education, Specialist teaching, New Zealand