2.1 Defining professional identity for teachersIn professional identity research, there are many notions about how professional identity should be defined. As mentioned by Beauchamp and Thomas (2009), gaining a better understanding of what a professional identity is is a difficult task because it is associated with multiple external factors such as the contexts and relationships in which they function (Rodgers and Scott, 2008) and internal factors. such as beliefs, values, and attitudes (Day, Kington, Stobart, & Pam, 2006). It is therefore problematic to have a global definition. Generally speaking, it is accepted that the professional identity of the teacher serves as a guide for teachers to construct their own form of "how to be", "how to act" and "how to understand" their work and their place in society. . » (Sachs, 2005, p. 15). Understanding what identity is is essential to obtaining a clear definition of teachers' professional identity. In recent literature, we observe a recurring representation of identity as fluid, which changes from moment to moment and from context to context (Akkerman & Meijer, 2011). In their review of the literature, Flores & Day (2006) conclude that identity is “an ongoing and dynamic process” that leads to “(re)interpreting one's own values ​​and experiences” (p. 220). From a comprehensive literature review of 22 studies related to teacher identity, from the period 1988 to 2000, Beijaard, Meijer, and Verloop (2004) understood that identity is constantly evolving. These results confirm that identity as an active and constantly evolving element