Teachers’ Identities in Rural Areas From Chile

Abstract

The research study presented in this article has attempted to generate deep and first-source knowledge on how the identity of teachers who practice their profession in the rural context is forged and configured. The study was carried out in two rural communes in the Ñuble Region.

Through a mixed study, with qualitative predominance, it was possible to investigate the perceptions of a sample of in-service teachers, at different stages of their careers. The study findings show that the identity of the rural teacher is configured by various characteristics, particularly relevant to the rural educational context of Ñuble, but which are equally transferable to other educational realities in rural communes in Chile. The study has revealed that the rural teacher is perceived as a professional with a high degree of vocation and motivation for his/her work, characterized by a high level of professionalism, who exercises multiple roles, establishes close relationships with his/her educational communities and commonly works in challenging conditions due to scarcity of resources available to carry out his/her work in favorable conditions.