Telling their stories: a narrative exploration of student-teacher reader identity

My research explored the reading histories of student teachers and how this has shaped their reader identities. Furthermore, I consider how their developing identities as teachers are shaped by their reader identities.

The links between teachers who engage in reading as a pleasurable activity and the reading for pleasure pedagogies within their classrooms has been recognised in numerous studies (Cremin, 2009; Cremin, 2007; Dreher, 2003; Moss, 2000). A teacher’s ability to inspire young readers is bound to the teacher’s identity as a reader (Cremin, 2014; Hall, 2008) whilst research previously undertaken with student teachers recognises that the majority are ‘aliterate’ or ‘unenthusiastic’ readers (Applegate et al, 2014; Sulentic- Dowell et al, 2006; Nathanson et al. 2008).

This narrative case study involved ten self-selected participants from the first-year cohort of a BA Primary education course. The study of reading teacher identities took place over their first two semesters. Using data visualisation, life history drawings and narrative interviews, this study aimed to identify the processes by which student teachers shape and reconstruct their identities as readers whilst simultaneously building their identity as teachers of reading.

Significant lived experiences which influence the formation of reader identity were found to be; shared reading experiences at home and at school; embodied experiences of reading; and self-efficacy.

Drawing on Social Identity Theory and Clarke’s (2009) Foucauldian framework of identity work, a conceptual framework was developed which explored the role of reader identity in shaping a reading teacher identity. Through analysis of the data, a typography of reader identity was created which can be used on a continuum to position reader perspectives and shed light on the values and beliefs each participant holds about the teaching of reading. This allowed for the drawing of conclusions about the pedagogical approaches favoured in their developing reading teacher identity.