English Language Teacher Professional Identity: Exploring EFL Language Teachers and Teacher Educators’ Views

This study explored the reasons why language teachers chose this profession, their perceptions of the notion of language teacher professional identity, the influential factors in the construction or change of professional identity, the contribution of communities of practice, and the role of teacher educators in supporting student teachers through the process of professional identity construction. A ۳۷-item questionnaire along with five open-ended questions was developed and administered to ۱۰۹ English language teachers studying Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) at Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST). Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with five teacher educators. The results revealed that language teachers perceived their professional identity mostly related to student-related identity, self-knowledge, and practice into knowledge. They held the view that students, context, and disciplinary knowledge could greatly cause constant changes in their professional identity development. The findings presented a dichotomous view regarding the role of communities of practice. Teacher educators also recognized critical thinking and reflection on the practice as the contributors to the construction of student teacher professional identity. The study could shed more light on the improvement of teacher education programs and professional development of language teachers.