Narrative Perspectives on the Construction of English Language Teacher Identity

Abstract

The objective of this study is to explore English language teachers’ identities in relation to cultural backgrounds, enthusiasm, and institutional conditions. It manifests lived experiences and sense of professionalism of resources, administrative support, and resilient identities through teachers’ narratives. I employed a qualitative research design grounded in narrative inquiry and identity theory to capture teachers’ experiences, emotions, and motivational factors shaping their professional career trajectories. I explored English language teachers’ identity construction in the spectrum of personal agency, organizational atmosphere, and socio-political scenario. I applied narrative inquiry to extract the individual's lived experiences, context-specific, and sense of their professional paths in their teaching journey. I used Clandinin and Connelly's narrative identity theory as a research methodology, conducting semi-structured interviews with five English language teachers and analyzing interactions in different classroom contexts. The primary data collection methods were informal conversations, note-taking, and audio recordings made on a cell phone. On the other hand, secondary sources were journal articles, books, and existing literature. Data collection was conducted in July 2024. Thematic analysis, Braun and Clarke helped me to identify major findings such as the formation of teacher identity, English teachers’ professional experiences, and environmental aspects influencing teacher identity. Findings indicate that motivation, social recognition, and financial stability shape teachers’ identity. Furthermore, this study highlights supportive administration, sufficient resources, and collaborative cultures that enhance teachers’ professional development. Narratives contributed to deciphering teachers’ economic hardship, burnout, and negotiating challenges in teaching domains.