Critical dialogues with self: developing teacher identities and roles — a case study of South African student teachers

This chapter examines the development and maintenance of teacher role and identity by means of a case study of student teachers entering the profession in Durban, South Africa. Firstly, it explores the nature of teacher role identity with particular attention paid to contextual factors in shaping a teacher's professional environment. It then presents the South African case study, focusing on the experiences of two young entrants to the profession. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the implications of research into teacher role identity for the development of policy and practice in teacher education in developing countries.