Teachers’ Identity Tensions and Related Coping Strategies : Interaction With the Career Stages and Socio-Political Context

When external requirements conflict with teachers’ personal beliefs and values, the resulting internal struggles can lead to identity tensions. Contributing to discussion on teachers’ identity development in a challenging context, this study investigated teacher identity tensions and related coping strategies in Hong Kong. We conducted 21 semi-structured interviews with qualified teachers and then performed a deductive thematic analysis of the data. We categorised the identity tensions as positioned on the micro or macro level, and distinguished the coping strategies as emotion-focused or problem-focused behaviours. The identity tensions and related coping strategies seemed to be associated…