The construction of professional identity of beginning university teachers - two cases studies from Tunisia

Abstract

This article examines the relationship that may exist between the “link to knowledge” and “professional identity” which refers to the process through which the beginning university teacher can or cannot identify himself professionally. These different relationships determine the identity construction process of beginning university teachers, which is constructed in and through his experience. We used the study of “case by case” and “one by one” (Terrisse, 2009) within a clinical didactic methodology. It is about an in depth study of a “singular, divided and subjected” subject which relies on qualitative study method”. The data analysis is organised through three important tenses: the already-there, the test and the post-stroke”. The originality of our study is to analyse the identity construction process of two beginning university teachers in the region of Tunis, through a crossed case study. The in situ observation of four theoretical, the semi-structured interviews (a priori, ante and post session and post-stroke) and the continent analysis, allow us to unveil the mechanism (conscious and unconscious) of the identity construction of these beginning university teachers as well as its evolutionary and moving dynamics especially at the first years in teaching job.