Elbra-Ramsay, Caroline ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7281-0166 (2026) Back to the Chalkface: An autoethnographic reawakening through the lens of self-determination. European Journal of Teacher Education.

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Abstract

After many years working in Initial Teacher Education, I had the opportunity to take Academic Leave to return to an English primary school classroom. Over a 16-week period, I taught 9–10-year-olds for 4 days each week whilst conducting an autoethnographic self-study. By completing a weekly diary, key reflections were identified each week as I moved from what felt a beginner practitioner to the confident and competent teacher I had identified as when I initially left the classroom. Analysis revealed recurring themes linked to my motivation over this period, and these were aligned with self-determination theory’s core components: perceived competence, autonomy and relatedness. As such, a more nuanced and personalised model of self-determination is proposed which maps on the professional rediscovery process I experienced. Analysis also identifies key considerations about how Initial Teacher Education might better prepare student teachers for the classroom.

Item Type:	Article
Status:	Published
DOI:	10.1080/02619768.2026.2675547
School/Department:	School of Education, Language and Psychology
URI:	https://ray.yorksj.ac.uk/id/eprint/14734

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