Rooted in Growth: A Tree Model of Teacher Identity and Reflective, Technology-Enhanced Instructional Design and Practice

Abstract This paper conceptualizes good teaching as a continual process of teachers’ professional growth, grounded in reflection on who they are as educators and how this understanding shapes their technology-enhanced instructional design and practice. Using the tree metaphor, the paper introduces the Tree Model of teacher identity and practice, outlining three major components that represent different dimensions of teachers’ professional growth. The Tree Model provides a reflective lens through which educators can align their values, professional development, and instructional design in an era of rapid technological change. Finally, the paper proposes reflective questions to guide educators in examining the relationship between their identity and technology-enhanced teaching practice.