36 and changes over time since it is “negotiated through experience and the sense that is
made of that experience” Sachs, 2005, p. 15. Further, Beauchamp and Thomas 2009 said:
Reflection is recognized as a key means by which teachers can become more in tune with their sense of self and with a deep understanding of how this self fits
into a larger context which involves others; in other words, reflection is a factor in the shaping of identity p. 192.
To develop their professional identity, therefore, teachers need to reflect on their teaching practice and one of effective ways to do reflection is through self-evaluation.
The next section of this chapter discusses the concept of possible selves that plays the significant role in the crafting of teacher professional identity.
2.5 Possible-selves theory
Possible selves can be a mediator for teacher cognition and development. Possible selves theory, developed by Markus and Nurius 1986, is described as
the individuals’ ideas of the selves that they would very much like to become, they could
become, or are afraid of becoming Markus Nurius, 1986, p. 954. Possible selves therefore represent three distinct aspects including the expected self, the hoped-for self,
and the feared self. The expected self represents a future self that an individual feels confident to attain. The hoped-for self refers to a highly desired possible future. A
feared self represents what an individual is scared of becoming in the future. Possible selves relate to individuals’ motivation or potential to change. They
influence the motivation process in two ways: 1 by making an apparent goal to attain if they are positive and to avoid if they are negative, and 2 by energizing the
individuals to take the needed actions to succeed in achieving the goal Markus Ruvolo, 1989. It means that to realize future oriented selves, individuals need to set
goals, create plans, and engage in considerable efforts toward their goals. Possible selves, in particular, function for evaluating individual’s current self
and are “derived from individually salient desires, hopes, reservations, and fears, but these aspirations and fears are influenced by an individual’s current and past specific
social, cultural, and environmental experiences” Hamman, Gosselin, Romano, Bunuan, 2010. In addition, Hamman et al. 2013 point out that possible selves are
dynamic and “their origins and longevity influence, and are influenced by personal
37 goals, interactions, and outcomes that occur within a relevant environment p. 310.
Accordingly, teacher self-evaluation in this study could possibly mediate teachers’ understanding of their current and past selves that further function as incentives to lead
to future-oriented representations of the selves or a certain type of teacher in the future. Hence, teacher possible selves play a crucial role in motivating for changes and
directing teachers’ behavior that, in turn, lead to their professional growth. As the aim of my study is to explore teachers’ pedagogic habitus and the extent teachers’ pedagogic
habitus are capable of change as a result of engagement in mediated self-evaluation, the next section reviews the Bourdieu’s sociological theory including his concepts of
habitus, capital, field, and practice.
2.6 Bourdieu’s sociological theory and teacher professional development
