Negotiation of identity : understanding the self-concepts and emotions of teachers in Singapore.

Abstract

The profession of teaching may be a well discussed and researched topic in many disciplines, but studies on the ways teachers evaluate themselves based on the public’s perceptions about them have been relatively few. Moreover, the increasing turnover rate of teachers has caused much concern. In this paper, I shall discuss how teachers feel about the public’s perceptions and expectations of them, and whether this has an impact on how they see themselves. In addition, I will explore teachers’ emotions with regard to their work, and examine how they regulate and cope with situations when they found that their identities are threatened. Based on their life experiences and opinions, this paper attempts to sociologically analyze their responses from a sociological level, and deduce the reasons that contribute to the increasing turnover rates of teachers.