Exploring language teacher identity development in a teacher professional learning programme

Abstract Despite the widely acknowledged significance of teacher identity development in language teachers’ classroom practices and professional learning, little research has explored language teacher identity construction in vocational education and training settings. This study attempts to fill th...

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Main Author: Jing Xu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SpringerOpen 2025-07-01
Series:Asian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s40862-025-00327-y
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author Jing Xu
author_facet Jing Xu
author_sort Jing Xu
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Despite the widely acknowledged significance of teacher identity development in language teachers’ classroom practices and professional learning, little research has explored language teacher identity construction in vocational education and training settings. This study attempts to fill the lacuna by exploring six English for general purposes teachers’ identities development through navigation of critical-oriented teaching within a three-month teacher professional learning programme at one Chinese higher vocational college. Data were collected from professional learning conversations, classroom observations, and reflective practices. Data analysis revealed that participants’ identities flowed on the continuum of authority, agency and vulnerability through navigation of critical-oriented teaching during the teacher professional learning programme. The complex interrelationships of language teacher identity, agency and emotion indicate a non-linear pattern of language teacher identity development, suggesting that it is profoundly mediated by and mediates participants’ emotions and their navigation of critical-oriented teaching. More work is needed to explore the development of language teacher identity through navigation of innovative pedagogical practices within teacher professional learning programmes in vocational education and training settings.
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institution Kabale University
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language English
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series Asian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education
spelling doaj-art-2ab013442a9c4790988aed25a77fa33d2025-08-20T03:45:22ZengSpringerOpenAsian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education2363-51692025-07-0110112110.1186/s40862-025-00327-yExploring language teacher identity development in a teacher professional learning programmeJing Xu0Jiangxi College of Foreign StudiesAbstract Despite the widely acknowledged significance of teacher identity development in language teachers’ classroom practices and professional learning, little research has explored language teacher identity construction in vocational education and training settings. This study attempts to fill the lacuna by exploring six English for general purposes teachers’ identities development through navigation of critical-oriented teaching within a three-month teacher professional learning programme at one Chinese higher vocational college. Data were collected from professional learning conversations, classroom observations, and reflective practices. Data analysis revealed that participants’ identities flowed on the continuum of authority, agency and vulnerability through navigation of critical-oriented teaching during the teacher professional learning programme. The complex interrelationships of language teacher identity, agency and emotion indicate a non-linear pattern of language teacher identity development, suggesting that it is profoundly mediated by and mediates participants’ emotions and their navigation of critical-oriented teaching. More work is needed to explore the development of language teacher identity through navigation of innovative pedagogical practices within teacher professional learning programmes in vocational education and training settings.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40862-025-00327-yEnglish for general purposes teachersTeacher identity developmentTeacher agencyTeacher emotionTeacher professional learning
spellingShingle Jing Xu
Exploring language teacher identity development in a teacher professional learning programme
Asian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education
English for general purposes teachers
Teacher identity development
Teacher agency
Teacher emotion
Teacher professional learning
title Exploring language teacher identity development in a teacher professional learning programme
title_full Exploring language teacher identity development in a teacher professional learning programme
title_fullStr Exploring language teacher identity development in a teacher professional learning programme
title_full_unstemmed Exploring language teacher identity development in a teacher professional learning programme
title_short Exploring language teacher identity development in a teacher professional learning programme
title_sort exploring language teacher identity development in a teacher professional learning programme
topic English for general purposes teachers
Teacher identity development
Teacher agency
Teacher emotion
Teacher professional learning
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s40862-025-00327-y
work_keys_str_mv AT jingxu exploringlanguageteacheridentitydevelopmentinateacherprofessionallearningprogramme