A beginning teacher's search for meaning: Teacher socialization, organizational literacy, and empowerment

Abstract

Drawing on the findings from an ethnographic case study, this paper seeks to examine the socialization of a "potentially empowered" beginning teacher as a means for better understanding the socialization process and the implications for teacher education more generally. Toward this end, the discussion focuses on how the "images" this teacher brought to her first year of teaching influenced her ability to make sense of the organizational context in which she found herself. Based on this, it is suggested that some form of organizational literacy be integrated into the curriculum of teacher education programs as one means for empowering teachers. © 1993.