A sociocultural perspective on second language teacher identity development: Narrative of a Vietnamese teacher
List of Authors
  • Duong Nguyen Anh

Keyword
  • Teacher Identity, Narrative Inquiry

Abstract
  • This study reports and analyzes the life stories of one Vietnamese EFL teacher to accentuate the process of teacher identity development throughout their teaching career. The participant’s story was constructed with data from a series of interviews combined with examination of relevant documents. His narrative was then analyzed thematically under the guidance of Wenger's framework. The analysis shows that EFL teachers’ identity is constantly shaped and reshaped depending heavily on contextual factors. Moreover, the study highlights the challenges that arise when institutional settings do not align, forcing teachers to make tough decisions on their teaching practices and ultimately shaping their teacher identity. The findings also explore a strong relation between teachers experiencing tensions or emotional shock within their teaching context and their shift in teacher identities. Lastly, it was found out that teacher spiritual and religious belief towards their teaching practices acts as a source of mediation that contributes to the construction of teacher identity.

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