Professional lives under review: Evaluating the human capital impact of overseas trained teachers (OTTs) on secondary education in London

Abstract

Notions of teacher quality, character and identity are debated worldwide. It is commonly held that the voices of ‘new’ teachers are largely underrepresented in such debates (Kompf, 2005). By engaging teachers in research into their own determinations of teacher quality, their dialogue can provide insights into the personal and individual processes of becoming a teacher within a broader socio-political framework (Frid and Reid, 2003). The earlier phase of teaching can be described as one of 'survival' and 'discovery' (Huberman, 1992), signifying the 'reality shock' new teachers face. Researchers (Day, 1999; Graham and Phelps, 2003; Bleach and Rhodes, 2004) emphasise the need for teachers to be properly supported at the earlier phase of their career; a requirement also identified for migrant or Overseas Trained Teachers (Miller, 2006).

This paper discusses findings on teacher identity as regard the experiences of Overseas Trained Teachers (OTTs) from the Caribbean in the course of their employment in London. Through teaching in London, OTTs have experienced both negative and positive impacts. On the one hand, these impacts have undermined previously held value positions resulting in some degree of confusion and turbulence. On the other hand, OTTs have navigated conflicting discourses and have combined past experiences with present knowledges to produce a form of localised ‘teacher identity’.