RESEARCHING VOCATIONAL TEACHERS' PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY

The specifics of vocational teachers' careers and their transition from industry to the education system, as well as the demands of continued professional development after they become teachers, can create tensions in their professional identity. The purpose of this paper is to examine the influences on vocational teachers' professional identity from macro, meso, and micro perspectives to provide a holistic view of the complexity of their professional identity. The literature review has shown that at the macro level it is necessary to explore how educational policies make their way into vocational schools and to vocational teachers as well as how status of vocational education and training in a country can influence vocational teachers. At the meso level it is important to study the relationships vocational teachers form with different stakeholders, as well as institutional support in terms of continuous professional development. At the micro level it is valuable to gain insight into vocational teachers' personal biographies by exploring their social background, prior educational and professional experiences, and reasons for choosing the teaching profession.