The process of becoming a teacher is dialogic in that teaching is about negotiating the multiple identities that people possess within the system of schooling. These multiple identities are complex and shape who people are as educators and individuals; they shape beliefs about students and the teaching and learning process. Beliefs are the representations of reality and experience that guide one's thoughts and behaviors; they are the judgments or evaluations people make of their world, others, and themselves. They are also the best indicators of decisions that individuals make throughout their lives.

A considerable body of research demonstrates that teachers' beliefs have a strong impact on the treatment of students and the instructional decisions that teachers make about teaching and learning. In that event, teachers' ...