Shaping governmentalized subjects through human capital discourse and teaching commitment in teacher professional development

Drawing on Foucault’s notion of governmentality, this study investigates how teachers, as governmentalized subjects, are regulated by key factors within the context of professional development. A questionnaire was administered to all teachers in 40 randomly selected secondary schools, yielding a valid return rate of 81.06% (n = 2,656). Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was then employed to test the theoretical framework underpinning the questionnaire and to identify the optimal pathways among the six constructs. The findings indicate that care of self emerges as the most influential driver of both enterprising and responsible subjectivities, as learning outcomes are frequently assessed through quantified data and classificatory categories. This pattern suggests that the data system functions as a data panopticon, inscribed into self- knowledge and directing the practices of self-care.