Meaning of Professional Identity:

a) Gecas (1982) defined identities as the various meanings that are attached to a person by
themselves and others.
b) Professional identity is defined as one’s professional self- concept based on attributes, beliefs,
values, motives, and experiences (Ibarra, 1999: as cited in Slay & Smith, 2011).
c) A professional identity is an important cognitive mechanism that affects workers’ attitudes,
affect and behaviors in work settings and professional life (Caza & Creary, 2016).
d) Professional identities can also be seen as a social identity of a person within the group of the
professionals who share a common approach to a particular type of work (Van Maanen and Barley,
1984: as cited in Caza &Creary, 2016).
Importance of Professional Identity:
a) A professional identity affects individual behavior and psychological well-being in the
workplace.
b) Individuals’ professional identities determined their moral decision making i.e., decisions
related to dos and don'ts, good and bad.
c) Professional identification contributes to have positive performance outcomes such as career
success.

d) Professional identity plays an important role in shaping both psychological processes in the
workplace.
e) A positive self-concept about professional identity can protect a person from depression and
anxiety.

Development of Professional Identity: Professional identity development can be used to make

sense of experiences, practice and work (Nyström, 2009). Professional identity development shapes
and is shaped by work-integrated learning experiences. Campbell and Zegwaard (2011)
affirmed that universities/teacher education institutions play a key role in assisting students to
navigate through workplace experiences. Luehmann (2007) described five necessary processes in
the development of a professional identity as a reformed educator, including
(1) reconciling prior beliefs with teaching,
(2) locating identity within a community of practice

(3) managing emotional aspects of identity formation

(4) integrating experiences and theory of teaching profession
(5) developing a sense of self-confidence. Joanna Gilmore, Melisa Hurst and Michelle Maher
(2009) described the work of Fuller and Bown (Fuller, 1969; Fuller & Bown, 1975) about
teacher identity development. This view proposes that teachers undergo a series of four
developmental stages characterized by unique concerns.

a) In the first stage, Fantasy, which occurs prior to actual teaching, prospective teachers romanticize
about the experience ahead. At this stage, the preservice teacher can better identify with the
students' perspective than the teachers. Thus, students in this stage are often overly critical of their
own teachers, or of teachers who they observe during early experiences in classroom/school.

b) The Survival stage begins after entering the classroom and encountering a crisis usually
related to classroom management or mastery of content. During this stage, the teacher struggles to
achieve a sense of worth and identity. This struggle usually translates into concerns about class
control, being liked by students and/or evaluation from other educators and administrators.

c) The third stage, Mastery, occurs as teachers begin to develop mastery over their content and
pedagogical knowledge adaptable to different situations. The teacher, in this stage, is able to engage
in more systematic reflection about their instructional practices. At this stage, teacher focuses on the
teacher's own performance, not on indicators of student learning.

d) In the Impact stage, the teacher is better able to focus on individual students and their needs.
Instead of being concerned about the evaluation of others, he or she is mostly concerned with
selfevaluation. Professional identity is closely linked to professionalism which is taking
responsibility for one’s action. So, thinking and acting as a professional are underpinned by
professionalism and a sense of professional identity.