Teacher identity and small school reform

Abstract

In order to gain some of the benefits of smaller, more personalized schools, many public high schools across the country have been reorganized, divided into several subunits, academies, or small schools. Recent studies examining these schools have shown some positive, some mixed results. This study combines theories of small school reform and professional identity to frame an examination of teachers' reflections on their experience working in such schools. Sixteen teachers at two schools in the Pacific Northwest were observed and interviewed. The transcripts of these interviews were analyzed individually and collectively. Common themes related to the theoretical framework as well as those that emerged from the interviews are explored and discussed through the lens of theories of professional identity.