“It just made me look at language in a different way:” ESOL teacher candidates’ identity negotiation through teacher education coursework.
Abstract
Research on language teacher identities is burgeoning, yet there is relatively little empirical evidence about preservice teachers’ identity development during teacher education coursework experiences. Therefore, this study investigates the cases of three preservice ESOL teachers in a 13-month MATESOL program. Focusing on discursive, experiential, negotiated, contested, and positional construction of identity, it conceptualizes identity development as integral component of teacher learning, practice and growth. The findings suggest that the teacher candidates subjectively negotiated their teacher identities during teacher education coursework experiences as (a) they positioned themselves as an ESOL teacher through asynchronous online and face-to-face course discussions, assignments, and activities, (b) they engaged in professional interaction with teacher educators and other emerging teachers, and (c) the professors and other TCs capitalized on their simultaneous school experience as a valuable resource in the teacher-learning community. The findings implicate that language teacher education programs should integrate identity as an explicit pursuit in its practices.
Reference
Yazan, B. (2017). “It just made me look at language in a different way:” ESOL teacher candidates’ identity negotiation through teacher education coursework. Linguistics and Education, 40, 38-49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.linged.2017.06.002
Journal
Linguistics and Education
Analysis
Is this article part of a larger project or series of studies?
no
Does this study draw on a large, preexisting data set?
no
Research Approach
Geographic Setting
Institutional Context
Certification Level
Programatic Focus
Research Location Context
Preservice Participants
- Masters of TESOL Education
Preservice Sample Size
3
Duration of Data Collection
Data Sources
- Document Analysis
- Interviews
- Observations
Data Analysis Tools
- Constant comparative analysis
Researcher Positionality
- Outside (not directly invested in the program or operations)
Research Questions
How do three ESOL TCs negotiate
and construct their emerging teacher identities through teacher
education courses during their preparation in an MATESOL program?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes