This presentation focuses on and discusses the main involving conceptual themes of my ongoing PhD thesis that is based on my previous publications. The overall purpose of my thesis is to widen awareness of teacher diversity internationally, focusing on invisible neuro-diversities particularly dyslexia. The central aim of the research is to gain deeper understanding of how tertiary teachers with dyslexia negotiate and maintain their professional teacher identity and a sense of self, to some extent in a controversial situation, as in meeting the requirements set for teachers and coping with the difficulties manifested by dyslexia. Consequently, the research task is set to understand the multi-voiced negotiations of professional identity development and the dilemmas of the practice of the work by describing and interpreting the self-narratives of tertiary teachers with dyslexia.  Thus, the broad research question is formulated as: Which factors (in their narration) enhance the construction and maintenance of professional teacher identity and a sense of self as a tertiary teacher with dyslexia?

The conceptual framework for this study will explore teachers’ professional identity construction as identity negotiation processes where interaction between personal agency and social suggestion are present (van Oers, 2002). The discussion of the relationship and involvement of the personal and the social aspects in the identity negotiation process will be theoretically informed by a combination of subject-centred socio-cultural framework, and post-structural approach to view work organizational contexts (Billett, 2006). The relationships between the socio-cultural context of work organizations and teachers’ professional identity negotiation will also be discussed in terms of identity agency and self-efficacy. Identity agency refers to individuals’ capacity to enact according to the expectations of a certain role, for example, the role of teacher which involves to a large extent ‘taken-for-granted’ behaviours (Hitlin and Elder (2007a). They further argued that passively following the socially prescribed role expectations does not entail agency, whereas successful achievement of a social role takes effort and therefore defines actors as agents. Fulfilling the chosen role strengthens the sense of self, avoids embarrassment and enhances the self-efficacy beliefs that are said to be the key factors of agency (Bandura, 1997). In addition, those with higher levels of self-efficacy feel more competent and effective (Hitlin & Elder, 2007b).

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