Constructing New Professional Identities: Career Changers in Teacher Education -- DEDICATION -- TABLE OF CONTENTS -- LIST OF TABLES -- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS -- INTRODUCTION -- CHAPTER 1: RESEARCHING CAREER CHANGERS IN TEACHING -- WHY RESEARCH CAREER CHANGE STUDENT TEACHERS? -- A Personal Stance: My Own Career Trajectory -- A Philosophical Stance: An Ethic of Care -- A Pedagogical Stance: Respecting Experience in Learning -- AIMS OF THE BOOK -- OUTLINE OF THE BOOK -- CHAPTER 2: CAREER CHANGE PROFESSIONALS IN TEACHING -- NON-SCHOOL LEAVER ENTRY INTO TEACHING -- RECRUITMENT OF QUALITY TEACHERS -- Attracting Career Changers into Teaching -- IMPLICATIONS FOR TEACHER EDUCATION -- THE RESEARCH PROJECT -- Research Questions -- Methodology -- Data Collection -- Data Analysis and Interpretation -- CHAPTER 3: IDENTITY AND LEARNING WITHIN COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE -- WHAT IS IDENTITY? -- Personal Identity -- Multiple Identities -- Construction of a Career -- DEVELOPING A STUDENT TEACHER PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY -- The Influence of Biography in Teacher Professional Learning -- Sociocultural Influences on Teacher Professional Learning -- LEARNING AND IDENTITY CONSTRUCTION THROUGH PARTICIPATION IN COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE -- Communities of Practice -- A Social Theory of Learning -- Practice and Meaning -- Practice and Identity -- Boundaries and Multimembership -- CHAPTER 4: MAKING A CAREER CHANGE INTO TEACHING -- WHY DO PEOPLE CHANGE CAREERS? -- Theoretical Understandings of Career Change -- Why Choose Teaching as a Career? -- MATURE AGED STUDENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION -- Career Change Students in Teacher Education -- CHAPTER 5: CAREER CHANGERS IN TEACHER EDUCATION -- WHO ARE THEY? -- WHY ARE THEY HERE? -- Reasons for Wanting a Career Change -- 'Other' Reasons for Wanting a Career Change -- Motivations to Teach -- WHERE HAVE THEY COME FROM? -- Other Career Fields.

WHAT DO THEY BRING TO TEACHING? -- WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE A CAREER CHANGE STUDENT IN TEACHER EDUCATION? -- Rewards -- Challenges -- CONCLUSIONS -- CHAPTER 6: LISTENING TO THE VOICES OF CAREER CHANGERS IN TEACHER EDUCATION -- CAREER BACKGROUNDS -- MOTIVATIONS TO CHANGE CAREERS INTO TEACHING -- Desire for Personal Growth and Development -- Personal Circumstances -- Dissatisfaction with Previous Career -- CAREER CHANGERS' EXPERIENCES IN TEACHER EDUCATION -- Application of Previous Skills and Experiences -- Teaching practicum -- Social Relationships -- Logistical Issues and Impact on Personal Relationships -- WHAT DID THE INTERVIEWS REVEAL ABOUT CAREER CHANGE STUDENT TEACHERS? -- CHAPTER 7: CASE STUDIES - PATRICK, MICHELLE AND BILL -- CASE STUDY 1: PATRICK -- The Expert Old-Timer -- The Novice Student Teacher -- CASE STUDY 2: MICHELLE -- The Expert Old-Timer -- The Novice Student Teacher -- CASE STUDY 3: BILL -- The Expert Old-Timer -- The Novice Student Teacher -- CONCLUSIONS -- CHAPTER 8: UNDERSTANDING CAREER CHANGERS INTEACHER EDUCATION -- WHY DO PEOPLE CHANGE CAREERS, AND WHY DO THEY CHOOSE TEACHING? -- WHAT ARE THE CAREER BACKGROUNDS OF PEOPLE WHO CHANGE CAREERS INTO TEACHING, AND WHAT ATTRIBUTES DO THEY BRING TO TEACHING? -- HOW DO CAREER CHANGERS EXPERIENCE TEACHER EDUCATION? -- HOW DO CAREER CHANGE STUDENTS CONSTRUCT NEW PROFESSIONAL IDENTITIES AS STUDENT TEACHERS? -- IMPLICATIONS FOR TEACHER EDUCATION -- Transition and Orientation Programs -- Pastoral Care and Support -- Curriculum and Pedagogy -- Learning Through Research -- MY PERSONAL LEARNING JOURNEY CONTINUES -- POSTSCRIPT -- REFERENCES.