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The Importance Of Teacher Identity

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Teacher identity, according to Miller (2008, p. 174), is considered to be “relational, negotiated, constructed, enacted, transforming and transitional.” Identity is regarded as an evolving process of change and resistance while the teacher acquires professional knowledge, gains experience, and plans to develop both professionally and personally (Tsui, 2003, p. 35). In addition, the process of constructing the teacher 's identity is affected by culture and sociopolitical context in which the teacher works and lives (Beijaard, et al, 2004, p. 113).
The sociopolitical and cultural contexts are places where communities of practice form and develop (Wenger, 1999, p. 17). Therefore, teacher identity is constructed when an individual tries to become a member in a community of teachers (Wenger, 1999, p. 17). A community of practice has been defined as groups of people who share a similar enterprise and follow shared goals. According to Wenger (1999, p. 45), “we define these enterprises and engage in their pursuit together, we interact with each other and with the world accordingly.” A community of practice, according to Clark, 2008, p. 75) can be defined based on mutual engagement in a joint enterprise through a shared repertoire of discourse which includes engagement, imagination, and alignment as the three modes of belonging. Mutual engagement is to participate in practice in which the meanings are negotiated among members; however, these negotiations do not necessarily create
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