Border Crossings: the Role of Narrative Storytelling in the Professional Identity Development of Faculty of Color

Abstract

Career success is associated with having an integrated professional identity, especially for teacher educators who play a vital role in the professional development of novice teachers. Yet, the unique professional needs of teacher educators themselves, especially faculty of color, are often times ignored at predominantly White teaching institutions. In this case study, we analyzed stories related to the professional experiences of teacher education faculty members who participated in a faculty learning community centered on oral storytelling. Our findings indicate that for faculty of color, the process of developing professional identities involved crossing cultural borders, establishing credibility, and redefining themselves to reclaim a sense of professional agency. Faculty learning communities that focus on storytelling have the potential to be an effective approach for faculty development, not previously reported in the literature.

Keywords:

• BIPOC
• faculty development
• storytelling
• teacher educators
• professional identity

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Pew Faculty Teaching and Learning Center Grant.