Autoethnography on the (Re)construction of Middle School Teacher’s Identity Studying in Graduate School

This study aimed to explore the dilemmas and unique characteristics of teacher identity expe-rienced by a middle school teacher (myself) who simultaneously pursued graduate studies and teaching. Over three years, I gathered and analyzed narratives of my experiences. The results highlighted dilemmas in areas such as ‘professional development,’ ‘subject expertise,’ ‘school/or-ganizational culture,’ and ‘relationships with students and colleagues.’ Engaging with decolonial theory enabled me to transcend decontextualized and dichotomous perspectives, fostering a re-newed existential reflection on my identity. The conclusion underscores the necessity of profound exploration into the identity confusion experienced by teacher-researchers balancing graduate studies and teaching. The research findings are expected to resonate with the experiences of many graduate students studying to become teacher-researchers.