Identity And Identity Formation

This research report explores how previous educational experiences shape present realities and identity. My interest in this topic stems from my personal history and how my own identity was shaped and influenced by my school experiences. In the process of researching and reflecting on my own experiences, I focused on pinpointing the instances I found to be critical in my identity formation and using research to explain why these events had such a large impact.

Multiple Pathways to Identification: Exploring the Multidimensionality of Academic Identity Formation in Ethnic Minority Males explores what makes up academic identity, uses this framework to challenge the stereotypes that are forced upon ethnic minority males, and analyzes the various

The common concept amongst these studies is how outside influences and influencers can alter the identity development of adolescents, or as Yeager, Bundick, and Johnson explain, “Too much pressure from adults or other outside forces may undermine internalization of new ideas about one’s identity” (Yeager, Bundick & Johnson, 2012). As students grow and develop, both as conscious and independent beings, they look for guidance from trustworthy adults. Teachers and parents/guardians majorly influence the children they interact with everyday. In Multiple Pathways to Identification, society influences ethnic minority males by perpetuating stereotypes and possibly hindering their individual paths to success. Students who experience school burnout, according to How does School Experience Relate to Adolescent Identity Formation Over Time?, experience this because the demands of these students outweigh their mental resources. The expectations of teachers and/or parents/guardians can cause these students to overexert themselves, and if the student does not have the mental stamina, this could lead to the students’ complete disconnect to education and academic identity formation. Finally, as mentioned previously in the summary of The role of future work goal motives in adolescent identity development, an overabundance of influence from adults or other sources inhibit the key aspects of autonomy and self-determination in the identity formation of adolescents. My own identity, pertaining to both future work goals and academics, was influenced by my experiences with adults, particularly teachers, as I developed as an adolescent. In the next section, I will explore the findings of these studies regarding how identity formation can be influenced by outside sources impeding individual’s autonomy