English Pre-service Teachers’ Identity and the Negotiation of the Self

Abstract

There is and continues to be growing research in language teacher identity; however, relatively limited empirical evidence exists on the development of pre-service teacher identity in the teachers experiences in teacher education programs. Taking on a qualitative case study approach, the current study explores a small group of pre-service ESL teachers in a 12-month TESOL Master’s Education program in a U.S. university in the mid-west. Data include document analysis, semi-structured interviews, and class observations. By focusing on the contested, discursive and positionality of identity formation, the current study conceives identity formation as an essential feature in teacher development and practice. Results of the study suggest that through their experiences in the teacher education courses, pre-service teachers (PTs) negotiate their identities as 1) they situate the self as an ESL teacher by means of interactions online and in person in class activities, tasks, and class discussions; 2) they interact with other educators and PTs; 3) they negotiate their teacher identities as the program instructors and other PTs make use of their experiences in the local schools as important resources in the community of teacher learners. The implications of the results show that teacher education programs for language teachers need to incorporate identity as a specific interest in teacher practices.