Teacher Identity Reconstruction in the Transition to Inclusive Practice: A Longitudinal Narrative Inquiry

This doctoral study employs longitudinal narrative inquiry to examine how special education and general education teachers reconstruct their professional identities as they transition from segregated to inclusive practice in Nigerian secondary schools. Professional identity, encompassing teachers' sense of purpose, professional competence, relational orientation, and pedagogical beliefs, is increasingly recognised as a critical mediating variable in educational reform, determining whether policy-driven change in practice is superficial or deeply internative. In the context of Nigeria's push toward inclusion, little is understood about the experiential and identity dimensions of teachers' transition processes, and how identity reconstruction either supports or obstructs sustainable inclusive practice. The study follows twenty teachers, comprising ten special education and ten general education teachers, across a three-year period in which their schools undergo a structured transition to inclusive practice in Abuja, Lagos, and Enugu. Narrative data are collected through three annual in-depth interviews per participant supplemented by reflective journals and observation field notes. Longitudinal narrative analysis tracks identity themes across time, examining turning points, narrative repairs, and evolving professional commitments. The study generates an original account of teacher identity reconstruction in Nigerian inclusion transitions that contributes to teacher identity theory, inclusive education research, and the practice of school reform facilitation. Findings have direct implications for teacher preparation and ongoing professional support design. Keywords: teacher identity, narrative inquiry, inclusive practice, longitudinal study, professional reconstruction.