Teaching practices and technologies: The transformation of teachers’ agency and professional identity in a changing context

Abstract

This research focused on the relationship between the sociocultural and dialogical dimensions of teachers’ professional identities and agency and the changing context during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 286 Italian teachers in a specialized training program took part. An open-ended questionnaire was administered. Both content and micro-genetic positioning analyses were performed. Professional identity emerged from a multiplicity of elements linked to teachers’ individual experiences. Moreover, sudden changes in positions, roles, and environmental situations have contributed to the transformation of the agency and the self-representation of professional identity. Educational/didactic practices have been adapted to the changes that affected schools during the COVID-19 pandemic.