Reflections on Identity: A podcast series for educators

In the final episode of the podcast series, Carol and Neil discuss what they consider to be the important findings from the series and how these have affected perspectives on professional identity in education. The importance of context and the dynamic between role and identity are highlighted. Carol and Neil also discuss their own professional identities.

Carol and Neil's book on professional identity in education

In this episode, Afsan Redwan discusses his professional identity in the context of Sixth-Form provision in a Further Education College. Afsan highlights the demands and challenges that come with this work and how this affects his sense of professional self. He also reflects on how the working environment for him as someone who is vision impaired has influenced his thoughts on identity and the responsibilities of organisations around inclusion.

In this episode, Jane Pescow discusses her professional identity as a manager in an early years setting. Jane gives an insight into the values and practice she upholds in her work with colleagues and young children and the importance she gives to the children enjoying their experiences of the pre-school environment. She pushes back on notions that the Early Years sector is becoming increasingly over-regulated, arguing that pre-school managers and practitioners have autonomy to devise individualised learning for the children they work with

In this special roundtable episode of the podcast, Saul Keyworth and Oli Belas (both Senior Lecturers in Higher Education) talk about professional identity in relation to physical education and activity. They discuss how notions of what is deemed socially acceptable in terms of gender, the body, space and movement are based on norms and expectations that they critique as part of their research and informs their own thoughts on what it means to be a teacher and researcher in the field. Key philosophies and theorists in this area are also discussed as are ideas relating to community and collaboration

In this episode, Lewis Stockwell discusses his professional identity in relation to his academic areas of philosophy of education and outdoor/environmental education. Lewis talks about the debates in education over what constitutes ‘outdoor education’ and how this affects his and other practitioners’ identities in the field. The importance of relationships between the human and not-human and how we teach about these in schools, colleges and universities form a central focus of the episode

In this episode, James Noble-Rogers discusses his role as Executive Director of UCET. James discusses the role UCET plays as an advocacy body for teacher education in universities and his own role  within the organisation. James talks about the benefits and tensions of working with a number of stakeholders (including government ministers and officials) on the issue of teacher education and the episode ends with his views and advice on teacher agency for colleagues coming into the profession.

In this episode, Emma Fuller talks about her professional identity in relation to her role as a senior advisor for school improvement. Emma discusses the variety of responsibilities she has in her role, including working with key stakeholders such as senior leaders in schools, executives from multi-academy trusts and OFSTED. Emma was previously a primary school teacher and the episode explores her values and beliefs as a teacher with her responsibilities now within a local authority. The importance of mentoring and professional development are also critical to Emma’s identity. 

In this episode, John Mackay discusses his professional identity as a teacher in the charity and community education sector. John talks about his professional and personal identities as being closely aligned in terms of the importance he attaches to his areas of expertise, literature and creative writing, and the opportunities charity and community education provides for people who are often neglected or marginalised by other forms of education. He also discusses the move to online learning and the impact this has had on his professional role.

Roy Moyser is the focus of this episode. He explains the aims and purposes of the University of the Third Age and his role as a group governor for the Philosophy group at the St Ives, Cambridgeshire branch. Roy talks about the role of the facilitator in learning and how he views this as integral to how he runs his group and its centrality to his own identity and the ethos of the U3A. 

Charlotte Wake is the focus of this podcast episode. Charlotte talks about the portfolio of roles she has in both medicine and education and how these affect her sense of professional identity. She also discusses the important role mentorship plays in terms of creating a sense of professional community as well as supporting colleagues in their development.