Mathematics teachers’ identity in the prison context

Within the Learning Mathematics in Prison project, we analysed the identity of mathematics teachers working in a prison context, with a specific focus on their motivations, goals and perceived role. Through the qualitative analysis of the interviews to four teachers working in different Italian school prisons, we derive that their professional identity is more strictly related to their role of educators in a prison context than to their role of mathematics teachers. This is also reflected in their perceived professional development needs, which are prevalently connected with the management of situations connected with the prison context rather than to the teaching of disciplinary contents.