Identity Research

The overarching goal of this book volume is to illuminate how research on science teacher identity has deepened and complicated our understanding of the role of identity in examining teacher learning and development.

Rethinking Identity Fusion presents a critique of Identity Fusion Theory, an identity-based social psychological approach to understanding pro-group extremism. It scrutinises the theory’s main theoretical claims and research methods, exposing serious inconsistencies and gaps in how the theory handles the concept of identity and in its research programme. The book demonstrates the flattening of the theory’s main concept, “identity fusion”, and the general state of confusion in the recent literature as to the theory’s claims and predictions.

Using a novel approach to consider the available literature and research, this book focuses on the psychology of social media based on the assumption that the experience of being in a social media has an impact on both our identity and social relationships. In order to ‘be online’, an individual has to create an online presence – they have to share information about themselves online.

As social media use explodes in popularity, teachers can now share resources and interact with a broad international audience of colleagues, scholars, students, and the general public.