Teacher identity and identity policies during the transitional periods of governance

Authors

• Marjo Vuorikoski Tampereen yliopisto
• Mirka Räisänen Tampereen yliopisto

Abstract

In Finland, teachers have had a socio-politically significant role as civil servants and stooges of the state missions ever since the establishment of the basic education system in the 1860’s. Therefore it has been considered pivotal to guarantee their loyalty to the state through normative education policies. In the article we analyse the history of governance of teacher’s work by using concepts of the governmentality research. We argue that through different techniques of governance teachers have been guided to construct a ”legitimizing professional identity” that sanctifies the dominant socio-political ”regime of truth” at a given time. We concentrate especially on the current neoliberal era of governance. We ask, what kind of a collective teacher identity seems to be aspired by the new form of governance and its techniques, and whether there is room for alternative identities.