Open AccessTo Be Resourced or to Become a Resource: Understanding Novice University Teachers’ Resource-Mediated Identity Construction
Author(s) -
Hao Xu
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
sage open
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.357
H-Index - 32
ISSN - 2158-2440
DOI - 10.1177/21582440211010721
Subject(s) - resource (disambiguation) , construct (python library) , autonomy , agency (philosophy) , identity (music) , knowledge management , process (computing) , psychology , public relations , pedagogy , sociology , computer science , political science , social science , computer network , physics , acoustics , law , programming language , operating system
This article reports on a multiple-case study which aims to investigate how novice university teachers construct professional identities as they process and utilize resources to promote professional development. Data were collected from 35 novice university teachers in China through prolonged individual interviews as a major source of data, with journal entries and other written protocols as a supplement. Data analysis reveals three types of resource-mediated identities, that is, resource collectors, resource providers, and resource users. The difference between the three types of identities further shows that resource utilization can be most effectively optimized if teachers display a higher degree of autonomy deriving from their agency and proactively engage with resources to resolve specific problems in self-directed efforts. Suggestions with regard to promoting teachers’ problem awareness and improving organizational management are discussed.