Revista Multidisciplinaria Perspectivas Investigativas

Multidisciplinary Journal Investigative Perspectives

Vol. 4(2), 12-20, 2024

https://doi.org/10.62574/rmpi.v4i2.132

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Reconstructing Teacher Identity: A Narrative Journey through the Life of

Alba Susana Valarezo-Cueva

alba.valarezo@unl.edu.ec

ABSTRACT

present meaning, where memories of lived experiences in the form of emotions, feelings, deeds

and words shape his identity as an individual and educator.

Descriptors: ethnic identity; education and culture; educational anthropology. (Source:

UNESCO Thesaurus).

RESUMEN

Este documento expone la vivencia de la investigación llevada a cabo durante la elaboración

del Trabajo Final de Posdoctorado en Investigación Social, realizado en la Fundación Koinonia.

El enfoque de este trabajo se centra en la reconstrucción de la historia de vida de Ángel

Chalán, un maestro e investigador perteneciente al pueblo Saraguro. El objetivo principal es

Descriptores: identidad étnica; educación y cultura; antropología educativa. (Fuente: Tesauro

UNESCO).

Received: 24/01/2024. Revised: 28/01/2024. Approved: 15/02/2023. Published: 01/04/2024.

Research articles section

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INTRODUCTION

The socio-political environment that contextualises Angelito's narrative reflects the situation of a

country immersed in a post-colonial phase, where the predominant slogan in the classroom was

to observe, listen and remain silent. Angelito was born on 6 October 1963 in the midst of the

military junta, where he experienced misery in one of the darkest periods of Ecuador's history.

Influenced by the submission imposed by the military regime, Ángel was forced to face the fear

of reprisals in a society that did not tolerate behaviour outside unconditional obedience. As a

result, his life is replete with stories of racial discrimination, as well as the machismo and

ethnocentrism that deeply characterised that era.

experiences that each individual acquires in specific environments and institutions. Therefore,

analysing Ángel's teaching identity through the shared environments and the dialogue that

emerges in them provides the opportunity to understand that his account is "influenced and

shaped by and in historical, social and political contexts" (Leite, 2011, p. 139). In this way,

exploring personal experiences in the various facets that make up the researcher's teaching

practice involves revealing the processes of adaptation and change throughout his career as a

Language and Literature teacher, in accordance with the claims of Rivas & Herrera (2009) and

Leite (2011).

This paper presents the experience of the research carried out during the elaboration of the

Postdoctoral Final Project in Social Research, carried out at the Koinonia Foundation. The main

environment, their lives and the organisations in which they are involved (Marquez, 2011, p.

117).

The research adopts an interpretive narrative perspective, seeking to understand "social

phenomena from the actor's own perspective (...) The relevant reality is that which people

perceive as significant" (Douglas, 1970, as cited in Taylor & Bogdan, 1987, pp. 15-16). The use

of narrative as a tool for recounting and sharing experiences plays a crucial role in this study, as

it provides an equitable and democratic platform between the researcher and the participant,

strengthening trust in the interview process (Ibanez, 2020).

In this vein, (Clandini et al. 1995, as cited in Mattos-Medina et al. 2013, p. 256) argues that

narrative enables the most authentic manifestation of the thoughts, emotions and aspirations of

researcher-researched hierarchy, provides the possibility for the research subject to take the

lead role in their own story.

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It is essential to approach the teacher's reality through narrative, since, according to Connelly &

Clandinin (1995, p. 11), "the use of narrative in educational research is grounded in the idea

that human beings are storytellers, living individually and collectively narrated lives". The

integration of narrative into research makes it possible to explore Angel's past experiences from

a unique perspective. In other words, the narrative reveals events or situations experienced by

the person under investigation that, from the present, acquire different meanings depending on

the context in which they are found.

Early stages of the research

professor in the interculturality department of the Basic Education degree course. Listening to

the narration of his trajectory, which spans from childhood to his current role as a teacher of

Language and Literature and interculturality, we realise that he has a deep knowledge of

Andean wisdom. His wealth of teaching experience has the potential to be transformed into a

such as the tools used to collect information, especially the in-depth interviews, the

confidentiality of the data obtained, the agreement of availability for future meetings, the use of

the digital recorder during the interviews, and the commitment of the researchers to provide the

This would allow the researcher to make changes, modifications, additions or transformations to

the written information.

In addition, the participant was given the possibility of preserving the anonymity of his or her

identity. This research method, which gives a voice to the subject under study, is based on a

continuous negotiation between researchers and participants, this exchange being the

centrepiece of the process. The methodological journey requires reflective and shared

agreements that guide the researchers' decisions. In this sense, as Mattos-Medina et al. (2011,

p. 101) point out, "Research focused on the thoughts, emotions, experiences and behaviours of

the individuals involved motivates us to forge collaborative connections and ethical

Scholars who adopt the narrative perspective focus on describing and recounting lives,

invading his privacy, thus affecting the research approach. The first decision as researchers

was to recognise that this space was comfortable and safe for Angel, who chose it as a setting

to share his life "for the first time". This made us understand our position as researchers,

recognising that our work would consist of being at Ángel's service. The ability to adapt to

diverse contexts proved to be a key part of the narrative research.

During the days spent in Angel's office, conducting the interviews, we experienced a significant

revelation. In particular, we discovered the ability to connect empathetically with him and the

narratives he shared. As we listened to him, various feelings surfaced in us, and we considered

the possibility that his experiences were having a dazzling impact, clouding our perception of

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the reality he was telling us. Reflecting on this aspect, we strived to prevent our fascination and

admiration for Angel from diverting the focus of our research. In this sense, the reflections of

(Mattos-Medina et al. 2011) lead us to consider some fundamental characteristics for

researchers.

Sensitivity, derived from the active interaction of the researcher in the environment; adaptability,

which facilitates a more complete immersion in the situation, allowing the simultaneous

management of different types of data and the ability to adjust behaviour and intuitions in the

face of new demands or changes in the environment; and the ability to observe holistically,

using all capacities (affective, physical, emotional, ideological, etc.), are essential elements for

We also faced concerns during the interview transcription procedure. By listening to our own

voices, the questions asked and, especially, the moments when we intervened and interrupted

the story, we identified aspects to take into account for future interviews. From these reflections,

The interview, conceived as a conversational space and as a possibility to create and recreate a

dialogue, has been the central component of the methodological process. In turn, this process

At the beginning of the research, the completion of the interviews was agreed with Angel

according to the requirements of the study. As previously mentioned, all meetings took place in

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the interviewee's office, where he carries out his academic work, attends to students at the

The first interview began with general questions about Angel's childhood and family. During this

session, questions were asked cautiously. As the conversation progressed, aspects were

revealed that Ángel had never shared before, even with his closest circle; feelings and emotions

emerged that surprised both Ángel and us. This first meeting was very substantial in content,

addressing topics such as his childhood, his great-grandfather, his grandfather and his father,

his experience in an indigenist school, his grandfather's influence on his life, his relationship

with his teacher, memories of problems of fear and loneliness in his school years, and the

During our meetings, it was essential that Angel shared aspects of both his close and distant

environment. This enabled the exploration of themes related to observation, allowing us to

nuance his account with the emotions expressed at any given moment. As well as providing

accurate and direct information about his experience, he contributed additional bodily testimony

Reviewing the transcript of the interviews, we can affirm that according to his expressions,

It was an indigenous school Celina Espinoza, it was a school only for indigenous people run by

Franciscan priests... when we spoke in Quechua, they would bully us when a word came out or

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the information and documentation arising from his teaching experience. There is a possibility

that this work could be extended in the future through an undergraduate or postgraduate thesis.

For this reason, the additional information gathered could become valuable resources for further

research into the life story of our protagonist. These interactions continue to enable us to

exchange experiences, thus building a connection that transcends the conventional researcher-

participant relationship. In this group, we have forged a relationship based on collaboration and

friendship.

Transcription of the interviews

again.

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After completing the in-depth interviews, we are now immersed in the process of thematisation,

and emergent, since, by repeatedly reviewing the interviews and field notes, new themes

emerge that require investigation, connection and deepening.

Progressively, the successive reflections, guided by Ángel's expressions, are reconstructing the

interviewee's teaching identity, this being the central purpose and objective of the research. At

the same time, this process is creating a relational space for learning, where the link generated

during the encounter connects us as researchers with Ángel's experiences. This makes it

possible to reinterpret, in the future, the social, political, cultural and personal elements that give

meaning and give sense to the teaching work from a social need to unite and not to separate,

from a natural need to build that true interculturality and harmony, seeking to live the here and

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Márquez, M.J. (2012). Mediadoras interculturales en centros educativos. Un punto de vista

Mattos-Medina, B., Prados Megías, E., & Padua Arcos, D. (2013). La voz del alumnado: Una

Prados, E., Mrquez, M. J. & Padua, D. (2012). Historias que cuentan. Entrevistar como el arte

Taylor, S. J., & Bogdan, R. (1987). Introducción a los métodos cualitativos de investigación

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