A NARRATIVE ANALYSIS OF A PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHER’S MATHEMATICS IDENTITY

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyze the mathematics identity of a primary school teacher who has negative mathematics experiences. His mathematics identity was separated into five periods (primary school, secondary school, high school, university, and math teaching) and examined afterwards. Narrative research was used because his mathematics identity was examined through his self-narratives. In this context, data were collected by asking a primary school teacher to tell his life story about mathematics. Through narrative analysis, three themes appeared from his identity experiences. In addition, discourse analysis emerged four interpretive repertoires. The identified themes pointed to four positive and ten negative factors for the teacher’s mathematics identity. As a result, it was found that the teacher himself and his teachers during his school years were the most effective components that result in these factors.