Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2007, Educational Policy and Leadership

This investigation explores how in-service teachers conceptualize teaching, integrate the personal and the professional dimensions of their lives, and develop teacher identities. This instrumental case study of 10 teachers builds on the previous work regarding personalization of practical and professional educational knowledge. All teachers studied were teaching in a single urban charter school guided by an experiential philosophy. This qualitative investigation lasted for one school year and included extensive time observing and interviewing the teachers. This study found that major resources for these foundational processes are relational experiences, both informal and formal. A metaphor of a black box is used to describe an inner collection of influential and remembered events and is a place where the personal and professional meet. The black box emphasizes the relational aspects of teaching and is found to respond to two major influences: (a) biographical experiences, including K-12 experiences and personal qualities, and (b) the exploration of self as teacher, including developing perspectives of what it means to be a student. Other less defined qualities of the black box are passion and motivation, both linked to the main characteristic of the relational. This investigation reveals that teachers responding to a school's educational philosophy still conceptualize teaching through their own personal experiences. The study informs teacher educators that they must recognize how individuals develop their identities as teachers, rather than simply focusing on what teachers need to know to be teachers. The study found that preparation programs had limited impact on teacher development. Teachers emphasized a need for active learning that encourages taking the perspective of student and teacher. Further research on the personalization of teacher knowledge is needed to further develop the idea of the relational quality of teacher conceptualization and to identify how th (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Anita Woolfolk Hoy (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Teacher Training