L2 teacher identity development: An activity theoretic perspective

Abstract

In the light of the substantial surge of interest in identity in L2 teacher research, it has become necessary to explore the inner dynamics of the development/construction of the construct. For this reason, the present study draws on data from face-to-face interviews, class observations, and the participants' Instagram pages to explore two EFL teachers’ identity development. Informed by activity theory as a conceptual lens, the iterative analyses of the data revealed that identity development was principally enacted by individual teachers. This individual identity enactment was, however, shown to be mediated by the teachers' past personal experiences, prolonged engagement in the practice of teaching, the immediate contextual and the broader social structure (family, organizational culture, community of friends/colleagues, and the society as a broad activity system), future-oriented ideals, tensions and conflicts involved in the negotiation of multiple identities the teachers experienced, and the power relations and tensions involved in parallel or alternate systems of activity they were engaged in. The article concludes by suggesting that teacher education initiatives should establish an explicit focus on teacher identity.