چکیده (انگلیسی):

This study developed a set of core professional identity indicators to which professional Economics teachers
and Economics teacher educators in Ghana responded in order to determine their validity as components of
the Economics teachers’ professional identity in relation to their ideal professional capacity. In specific terms,
the study investigated opinions of respondents on the importance attached to the rubrics of teacher s’
professional capacity as well as differences in opinion on the importance placed on indicators of teachers’
professional knowledge, values, skills and reflective practice. The study was a descriptive type which
employed the survey method. The study sample comprised 751 professional Economics teachers and 125
Economics teacher educators who were selected through the simple random sampling technique. One self -
developed instrument, Questionnaire on Senior High School Economics Teachers’ Identity (QSHSETI) was used
and a reliability index of 0.96 was obtained. The data were analyzed using mean and the independent sample
t-test. There are three paradigmatic levels for considering teachers’ identity. They are the ideal paradigm as
shown in Figure 1, the implementable paradigm as obtained by the researcher-developed instrument, and
finally the perceived or realistic paradigm based on the consensus of Economics teacher educators and
Economics teachers. The findings of this study revealed discrepancies in opinion between the perceived
competency and ideal targets of Economics teacher educators and that of Economics teachers. Curriculum
development in Economics teacher education should therefore aim at bridging the gap between the ideal
competency targets and the perceived or core competency targets. The study concluded that, teacher
education policy makers should support continuous capacity-building programs among Economics teachers
and Economics teacher educators.