“Wearing a mask” vs. connecting identity with learning

Abstract Contemporary insights regarding identity emphasize its situated, negotiated nature (i.e., identity is shaped by – and shapes in response – the contexts in which it is formed; Holland, Lachicotte, Skinner, & Cain, 1998; Lave & Wenger, 1991 ) Recent work also suggests that this identity/context intersection holds powerful implications regarding engagement in learning ( Brophy, 2008 ). This pair of qualitative studies drew from contemporary models connecting learning with identity (Study 1: cultural modeling , Lee, 2007 and third-space/hybrid-identities , Gutierrez, 2008 ; Study 2: Kids’ business inquiry projects, Fairbanks, 2000 ) to explore the nature and impact of such connections among disaffected ninth-grade English students at a high-needs school. Results demonstrate evidence of: (1) a significant connection between identity and learning; (2) students’ negotiation of engaged patterns of participation; (3) the relevance of student voice to this process; and (4) the impact of connections between identity and learning on students’ participation in, and affective response to, learning.

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