Elaine Browne.pdf - Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University

armamentarium 4 of alternative forms of representations” at hand. These, according to Shulman
(ibid, 203), are obtained from research and originate as a result of the ‘wisdom of practice’. A
‘good’ teacher acquires the ‘wisdom of practice’ due to experience. This teacher has a clear
knowledge of effective strategies which facilitate successful teaching and learning.
Since teachers are social role players, they have a social responsibility towards the learners in
their class, as well as a responsibility towards society. Their sense of competence is to a large
extent influenced by the amount of trust and respect communicated to them by society in
general, and the local community in particular (Shulman 2004, 313). This informs their sense of
who they are, in other words, their personal and, subsequently, their professional identities,
which will now be discussed.
Teacher identity
A teacher’s professional identity is a constituent component of his or her personal and social
identity. The concept of identity is however complex and multifaceted. Thorsén (2002, 84) sees
an individual’s identity as a mosaic, in other words, a unique collection. This collection consists
of dimensions influenced by a range of factors including social class, ethnic heritage, national
belonging, upbringing and religion. Fornäs (1995, 12) argues that identity is a lifelong process
and not a product per se. It is not fixed but highly dynamic. Through ongoing interactions with
4 The teacher needs to be equipped with multiple teaching strategies so that he wears it like a ‘real’ armament.
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