A Journey to a Pioneer: Exploring Identity Transformations of a Rural Chinese EFL Teacher from a Social Ecological Perspective – An Autoethnographic Study

This autoethnographic study explores how the subjectively experienced ecological context of a rural Chinese EFL teacher facilitates the evolution of her teacher identity across three distinct phases. The focus is on examining the teacher’s transformation from a reality dissident to a realist, and ul...

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Main Authors: Huanling Xing, Liyan Liu, Anne Li Jiang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2025-06-01
Series:SAGE Open
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440251346683
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author Huanling Xing
Liyan Liu
Anne Li Jiang
author_facet Huanling Xing
Liyan Liu
Anne Li Jiang
author_sort Huanling Xing
collection DOAJ
description This autoethnographic study explores how the subjectively experienced ecological context of a rural Chinese EFL teacher facilitates the evolution of her teacher identity across three distinct phases. The focus is on examining the teacher’s transformation from a reality dissident to a realist, and ultimately to a pioneering educator while analyzing the factors that drive these shifts. The findings highlight the significant influence of the rural social context, closely linked to the teacher’s subjective experiences, and emphasize the critical role of core reflection in this process. This research offers valuable insights into the development of rural teachers’ professional identity, underscores the importance of understanding the complex interplay between the social environment and personal core qualities, and provides actionable implications for enhancing the professional growth and effectiveness of rural teachers.
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spelling doaj-art-c149cd1cff894024b6e4d032def89f382025-08-20T02:22:09ZengSAGE PublishingSAGE Open2158-24402025-06-011510.1177/21582440251346683A Journey to a Pioneer: Exploring Identity Transformations of a Rural Chinese EFL Teacher from a Social Ecological Perspective – An Autoethnographic StudyHuanling Xing0Liyan Liu1Anne Li Jiang2 Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, ChinaThis autoethnographic study explores how the subjectively experienced ecological context of a rural Chinese EFL teacher facilitates the evolution of her teacher identity across three distinct phases. The focus is on examining the teacher’s transformation from a reality dissident to a realist, and ultimately to a pioneering educator while analyzing the factors that drive these shifts. The findings highlight the significant influence of the rural social context, closely linked to the teacher’s subjective experiences, and emphasize the critical role of core reflection in this process. This research offers valuable insights into the development of rural teachers’ professional identity, underscores the importance of understanding the complex interplay between the social environment and personal core qualities, and provides actionable implications for enhancing the professional growth and effectiveness of rural teachers.https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440251346683
spellingShingle Huanling Xing
Liyan Liu
Anne Li Jiang
A Journey to a Pioneer: Exploring Identity Transformations of a Rural Chinese EFL Teacher from a Social Ecological Perspective – An Autoethnographic Study
SAGE Open
title A Journey to a Pioneer: Exploring Identity Transformations of a Rural Chinese EFL Teacher from a Social Ecological Perspective – An Autoethnographic Study
title_full A Journey to a Pioneer: Exploring Identity Transformations of a Rural Chinese EFL Teacher from a Social Ecological Perspective – An Autoethnographic Study
title_fullStr A Journey to a Pioneer: Exploring Identity Transformations of a Rural Chinese EFL Teacher from a Social Ecological Perspective – An Autoethnographic Study
title_full_unstemmed A Journey to a Pioneer: Exploring Identity Transformations of a Rural Chinese EFL Teacher from a Social Ecological Perspective – An Autoethnographic Study
title_short A Journey to a Pioneer: Exploring Identity Transformations of a Rural Chinese EFL Teacher from a Social Ecological Perspective – An Autoethnographic Study
title_sort journey to a pioneer exploring identity transformations of a rural chinese efl teacher from a social ecological perspective an autoethnographic study
url https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440251346683
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