Funds of Identity in Education: Acknowledging the Life Experiences of First Year Tertiary Students

Abstract

Teacher education students bring diverse funds of knowledge to formal education. These funds of knowledge are particularly important for the successful transition of first year tertiary students into higher education. In preservice teacher education contexts, students draw knowledge from varied life contexts and their funds of knowledge become funds of identity when experiences associated with onto-epistemologies are used in the service of identity formation. This descriptive case study draws data from an online first year preservice teacher education unit (subject) to consider examples of funds of identity that can inform the work of practitioners in developing significant and contextualized learning experiences. Students' prior schooling experiences give meaning to their teacher education coursework and project potential teacher identities.