New British Academy publication: Exploring teacher agency and identity through the Tree of Life approach
Published: 25 November 2021
Presenting findings from a participatory research project conducted with a global group of ten early career English teachers as part of the British Council’s Widening Participation programme.
This report authored by Maria Grazia Imperiale (CUSP N+), Stephen Mander and Damian Ross, presents the findings from a participatory research project conducted with a group of ten early career English teachers from Armenia, Brazil, Morocco, Nigeria, and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, as part of the British Council’s Widening Participation programme.
The project purpose was threefold:
- To strengthen teacher development by providing an opportunity for teachers to meet and exchange knowledge and experiences with colleagues from different backgrounds.
- To understand early career teachers’ perspectives on teacher identity and agency, including their roles within their local communities and within an international community of teachers.
- To understand the value of bringing together a small group of international teachers in this way, with a view to informing new ways of working at the British Council.
Join us on 17 December for a webinar with Maria Grazia Imperiale to find out more about the project!
About the webinar
"You know why I registered for this programme? Because there were no lesson plans, no formal things to do. It was different."
Teachers need to be recognised as experts within the ELT sector. They often feel not valued enough, and this has an impact on their motivation and, consequently, on their performance.
In this webinar we explore teacher identity and agency by looking at teachers’ values, capabilities and aspirations. We present the findings from a participatory research project conducted with ten early career English teachers from Armenia, Brazil, Morocco, Nigeria and Palestine. We adopted the Tree of Life approach to explore teachers’ roots, their strengths and their future aspirations. We argue for strengthening teacher identity and agency within professional development programmes, and for a stronger recognition of teachers’ expertise within the ELT sector.
Research participants will share their own perspectives during the webinar.
Date: 17 December 2021 at 14:00 UCT / GMT
Read full information about the webinar and register at the Teaching English website
About the speaker
Dr Maria Grazia Imperiale is a Lecturer in Adult Education at the University of Glasgow, Scotland. Her interests are in language and intercultural education especially in challenging contexts. She has worked with refugees and asylum seekers in different contexts, especially in the Middle East and Europe.
Download and read the report 'Exploring teacher identity and agency through the Tree of Life approach' and watch a short video about the report below.
First published: 25 November 2021