Jaap Buitink

Profiling Teachers' Sense of Professional Identity.

This study shows that professional identity should not be viewed as a composed variable with a uniform structure. Based on the literature and previous research, we view teachers’ job satisfaction, self‐efficacy, occupational commitment and change in the level of motivation as indicators of teachers’ professional identity. Using two‐step cluster analysis, three distinct professional identity profiles have empirically been identified, based on data of 1214 teachers working in secondary education in the Netherlands. These profiles differed significantly regarding the indicators of teachers’ professional identity. Teachers belonging to the found profiles did not significantly differ in their amount of experience.

Research on teacher thinking and implications for teacher training

Summary In teacher training it is necessary to take into account the practical knowledge student teachers have about teaching. Student teachers should have the opportunity of integrating theories that are being taught with their own practical knowledge. This can only happen if the student teacher recognises the theories as being relevant to their teaching practice. To facilitate and stimulate such an integration process, teacher trainers need to have insight in the content and the development of the practical knowledge of teaching. This content and development will be described and there will be given some implications for teacher training.