In this article we will discuss the question of identity within an island community, the potential impact this may have on a person’s professional identity, and the implications around this in relation to professional learning and networking for island based teachers.
Using Biesta’s three educational domains of qualification, socialisation and subjectification as lens, what are the professional learning needs of teachers in remote, Scottish communities, and what are the opportunities to the members and their school communities. In an increasingly digital age, there are still limitations for those in less digitally connected rural areas to take part in national professional learning opportunities, along with whether there is a desire to do so, leaving the question of what is the nature of professional development for island communities, the influencing factors, and the ultimate question of whose needs should a teacher’s professional learning serve?
The question of identity in an island community
Identity is simply the story we tell about ourselves. For the purposes of this article professional identity is defined as ‘one’s professional self-concept based on attributes, beliefs, values, motives and experiences.’1 Identity is not something one has, but something that develops during one’s whole life and, as such, is an ongoing process of interpretation and re-interpretation of experiences.2
It is important to recognise that professional identity is formed by an interplay of different spheres of life, including those outside work and education, and that some of these spheres play a bigger part depending on the time and situation.3 The notion of identity can be used as an analytic tool in determining how, what or where you place yourself in relation to others in a particular context or sphere, in this case, in an island community as a teacher.