Who Is a Teacher?

James, Fatma

Who Is a Teacher?

James Alexander Gordon on 12th February 2026

Author Information

Fatma James, Manukau Institute of Technology, New Zealand

Abstract

Primary school teachers in Aotearoa New Zealand are increasingly taking on relational responsibilities that involve supporting students’ emotional and mental wellbeing. The role of the teacher now stretches beyond facilitating academic achievement to encompass wider pastoral and wellbeing support. This study examines how teachers conceptualise their professional identity as their work expands to include supporting children with compelling significant emotional and mental health needs. International and national evidence shows that teachers are working within a rapidly shifting landscape. Recent studies indicate that nearly half of primary teachers identify mental health and wellbeing as priority areas for professional learning, showing a growing expectation on teachers to respond to students’ social and emotional needs alongside curriculum demands. Workload and wellbeing data further that teachers associate long hours, stress, and emotional labour with such complex expectations, especially those connected to student wellbeing. Limited attention has been given to how teachers make sense of these expanded demands. This research seeks to examine how primary school teachers in Aotearoa New Zealand understand themselves as professionals when responding to young learners’ emotional and mental health needs. This study explores teachers’ meaning making processes and the ways they articulate, negotiate, and position their evolving professional identity. By centring teachers’ own interpretations, the researcher offers insight into what it means to be a teacher in contemporary schools. Central to this inquiry are questions about how teachers define their role, navigate tensions, and construct professional identities within an educational environment characterised by increasing emotional responsibilities.