Narratives of Teacher Identities: An Autobiographic Study on Teachers from Children and Youth Orchestras in Mexico

This study investigated the narratives of teachers of children and youth orchestras regarding their identity as educators. A qualitative phenomenological approach was employed to compare the experiences of teachers from two orchestral programs in Mexico within two different contexts. One group of teachers from each program participated. Each group consisted of nine orchestra teachers who had at least two years of experience in their respective programs. Additionally, a coordinator from each program was interviewed. The study aimed to understand the subjective representations of what it means to be a teacher in interaction with each educational music context. Fieldwork was conducted between August 2021 and August 2022. Empirical data were obtained through autobiographical multimethodology, which allowed for data triangulation across participants’ narratives. Interpretative analysis was conducted in accordance with Kelchtermans’ conceptual framework of teachers’ self-understanding, which encompasses five components: self-image, self-esteem, task perception, job motivation, and future perspective. The findings reveal differences between the two studied contexts, mainly regarding their opportunities for teacher training and professional development. Similarities were also found between the narratives of the teachers from both programs, finding that task perception and job motivation are associated with the socio-emotional support they provide to students. Teacher narratives highlight training needs and working conditions that require attention to enhance the development of similar programs.