Synonyms
Beliefs; Formation; Goals; Values
Identity defies one definition; it can be defined legitimately, with rigor, in different ways. Complicating the issue is that theories of identity did not emerge in education or even in educational psychology. Thus, problems arise when science education scholars do not attend to the disciplinary roots, ontological and epistemological assumptions, implied methodologies, and limitations of the ways they use identity. This entry describes two distinct ways of defining and studying identity: (1) individual/developmental and (2) situated/identity in practice.
Perspective #1: Individual/Developmental
Since the early days of psychology, scholars have wrestled with the concept of self. When psychologists focus on identity, some important elements include goals, values, beliefs, self-efficacy, belonging, and/or roles. Erickson’s (1968) work on ego identity development, as expanded by Marcia (1980), stressed four developmental stages an individual goes...
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References
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Carlone, H., Tan, E. (2014). Identity. In: Gunstone, R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Science Education. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6165-0_365-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6165-0_365-2
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