An Interactive Model of Teachers professional identity formation

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An Interactive Model of Teachers professional
identity formation

• The Workshop on
• Identity and Subjectivity
• 29 July, 2008
• Deakin University
• Russell Tytler, Patricia Henry, Iris Yi-shin Liou
• School of Education
• Faculty of Arts and Education
• Deakin University

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Research question

• How do the notions of English as a Lingua
  Franca interact with Non-native speaking English
  teachers professional identity?

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English as a Lingua Franca and TeachersProfession
al Identity

• The changed definition of teaching competence has
  the potential to redefine the role, contribution
  and position of NNS teachers in the TESOL
  profession.
• This change will impact on teachers sense of
  professionalism, their self-image, and their
  perception of teaching competence. These are
  essential components of teachers professional
  identity (PI).

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Using Combined Research methods

• Questionnaire survey for generating a broader
  view of teachers perception of their teaching
  job and their beliefs in teaching English.
  questionnaires were sent to 337 tertiary English
  teachers in greater Taipei area. 126 responded
  (37.3)

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Using Combined Research methods

• In-depth interviews to understand
  teachers perception and responses to the spread
  of EIL and changed definition of their teaching
  competence. 28 participants were interviewed.

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How to decode the data?

• Teachers professional identity is shaped by
  their social interactions within their
  professional contexts
• An interactive model of professional identity
  formation and EIL how the concepts of EIL
  compete with the forces shaping teachers
  professional identity?

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The interactive model

• The four sites of PI formation
• Personal initial education
• Micro-social interactions
• Interactions with Institutional powers
• Macro-social interactions
• (from PI literature)

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The notion of ELF and the competing forces of PI
formation

• The four sites of PI formation
• Personal initial education
• Micro-social interactions
• Interactions with Institutional powers
• Macro-social interactions

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EIL
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Teachers initial education

• Most of the teachers were English majors. Their
  rich exposure to the refined and formal language
  in English literature has formed a strong force
  against the concepts of EIL.
• Teacher identity as an English teacher A good
  command of standard English will enhance
  teachers sense of value in their professional
  identity.
• Teacher identity as an English user They became
  more relaxed about their personal use of English.

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Micro-social Interactions with students and
colleagues

• Students preferences in learning standard
  English has reinforced teachers belief in
  teaching standard English. Teachers may want to
  prove themselves to be competent in
  native-speakers English.
• From comparison with NS teacher colleagues, in
  NNS teachers view having language proficiency is
  just one among many criteria to be a good English
  teacher. Yet it does not mean that a good command
  of English is not important to them.

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Interactions with institutional powers

• Taiwanese Ministry of Education and English
  departments promotions of GEPT / TOEIC English
  proficiency test can be a strong force against
  EIL. These tests are based on the norm of
  American English. The liberal ideas of EIL may
  not help students much in the tests.

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Macro-social interaction with the society

• The anxiety of learning English in the society
  English is not the language used for local
  communication, but people want to have a good
  command of English. In teachers perception, they
  were expected to be expert in native speakers
  English. EIL may not help much in enhancing
  teachers sense of value in this particular
  social context.

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Conclusion

• Teachers professional identity is one of the
  major variables that determines the success of
  new teaching ideologies or methodologies.
  Subject competence is essential to NNS English
  teachers professional identity. Teachers will
  resist change if they see it as a threat to their
  professional role on the contrary, teachers will
  support change if they see it will enhance their
  value and their professional identity.

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Identity elaborated

• Subject competence is important. While the
  definition of the subject is contested, standard
  English is necessary to be considered competent.
• Through comparing self with NS teachers, NNS
  teachers defined a pedagogical competence that
  was important to their professional identity.