Abstract:

A recent study in teacher professional identity published by the OECD makes a foundational point about the centrality of technology to the new, “smart pedagogies” enriched, hybrid world of education which has been exponentially accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In it, Suarez and McGrath note:
The challenges of technology also fall on teachers: social networks and digital platforms promote new content and new pedagogical styles, and artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly important as an educational agent. (2022, p.7).

The exploration proposed here addresses how digital technologies now challenge teacher professional identity in unprecedented ways.
Firstly, some scholars recognize a growing shift towards a perspective on teacher education and development that focuses on capability and agency, rather than technical competence alone. In a recent work, Maria Ranieri (2022) frames this transformative shift by conducting an analysis of well-known digital competence models for teachers, such as TPACK, ICT Competency Standards for Teachers, and the European Commission’s DigcompEdu. Traditionally, the focus on instrumental logic and task execution in digital competence models for teacher education defined their professional identity as being centred on technical skills and the ability to perform specific tasks. Ranieri's work highlights a recent transition towards accentuating teacher learning as a confluence of professional and human development. This shift indicates a profound change in how teachers perceive their societal roles and responsibilities, extending beyond the technical dimensions of teaching.

Secondly, recent research in the field of Science & Technology Studies (STS) have shown an alternative epistemic position in characterizing the new form of knowledge produced by artificial intelligence AI and algorithms:

There exists a different mode of knowing: the ‘top-down model of interpretative sociology’ (Collins 2018, 111) where knowledge depends on a productive engagement with ‘forms of life’ (Wittgenstein 1953). If we choose to operate in this mode, we no longer can interrogate mechanical induction (bottom-up pattern recognition in AI), without entertaining a different perspective on how knowledge is first developed and then endowed with cultural relevance. (Perrotta and Selwyn 2019, p. 5)

In summery social networks, digital platforms, and artificial intelligence increasingly act as educational agents, influencing how teachers approach their pedagogical practices – and how teacher educators rethink theirs. This exposure to technology introduces interesting opportunities and challenges, which can impact how teachers perceive and define their professional identity and indeed their professional capabilities.

Within this paradigm, this paper will focus on the connection between teacher agency and teacher professionalization as it has been presented by the scholars Biesta (2015), Kennedy (2014) and Margiotta (2018). The expression “teacher agency” points out the idea of teacher as an “agent of social, cultural, and civic change” (Biesta et al, 2015, p. 87).

Secondly, it will be presented the interpretation of such paradigm through a qualitative case-study. This study involves ten Italian post primary teachers and two principals, and four Irish post-primary teachers and one principal.

Keywords:

Smart pedagogies, teacher professional identity, digital revolution, teacher professional development.