Making Sense of Aborignial Educare-Givers' Identities

• Main Author: Su-Chen Chang (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: National Taipei University of Education, 2015-06-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 1993-5633; 1993-5633
• Keywords: aboriginal educare-giver; identity; narrative inquiry; professional development for teachers; Education; L; Theory and practice of education; LB5-3640
• Source: Journal of Educational Practice and Research, Vol 28, Iss 1, Pp 61-98 (2015)

This study attempts to explore the sense-making process of aboriginal educare-givers' identities through narrative inquiry. The materials for analysis include interactivenarrative field texts, narrative- interview field texts, researcher's journals, and interviews' transcripts. The findings are as follows: The aboriginal identity is fluid. The ethnic identity and educare-giver identity develop in two parallel lines. And self-narrative is the pathway to seek their culture, and promote aboriginal educare-givers' identities. Further, this study has deconstructed the author's own identity as "teacher and researcher", suggesting professors in teacher preparation programs to: see students through different lenses in terms of their ethnicity, transgress between teaching and researching, and practice narrative analysis in the eyes of an educare-giver. Finally, suggestions are offered for teacher education programs as well as individual aboriginal educare-givers seeking and balancing between different identities.