The processes of construction, deconstruction and reconstruction of an IFSC English language teacher’s professional identity

Gloria Gil,Fernanda Ramos Machado

doi:10.1590/0102-445001030447361158

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article presents a qualitative study which aimed at investigating the process of identity construction of Silvana, an English language teacher from the Federal Institute of Santa Catarina (IFSC). In order to do so, data were generated from class observations, field notes and an interview and analysis consisted in a long and careful process of reflection, subjective interpretation and construction of meanings from the data generated in interaction with the theories that support this study. Regarding the latter, we have drawn mainly on the contributions of (Wenger, 1998), (Connelly & Clandinin, 1999) and (Gee, 2000-2001) who present complementary views regarding the concept and construction of identities. As for the methodology, we aimed at describing the events from an emic perspective in order to gain a deeper understanding of the meanings that events had for the participant. Therefore, data were generated from class observations, field notes and an interview with Silvana. Results show that there is a complex web of issues interacting in the process of Silvana’s professional identity construction. The entire process involves a movement of construction, deconstruction and reconstruction of her professional identity and is strongly influenced by her professional landscape in interaction with previous personal, learning and professional experiences.

Highlights

In our particular case this step was facilitated by the fact that one of the authors of this study was already inserted in the context of investigation since 2014/1, when she started working as an English language teacher there. The moment she started to work at Institute of Santa Catarina (IFSC) she automatically developed a close and respectful relationship with her colleagues, Silvana, and the other actors that compose the landscape of the campus
Silvana’s story allows us, first, to see her through the lenses of Wenger’s (1998) concept of identity as learning trajectories, in which identity is understood as “something we constantly renegotiate during the course of our lives” (p.154). This constantnegotiation of Silvana’s identity can be noticed in her movements of participation and non-participation to different communities of practice during her learning experiences at English teaching institute (ETI), the private English language school where she studied from the age of 9 until she was 17, and at university
When still an English language student at ETI, she was a participant member of communities of practice where teachers were friendly, accessible and fun and who “treated us all the same (...), they made jokes, they laughed, they liked to integrate with the others” (Interview, February, 2015)

Summary

Introduction

There has been a growing number of authors interested in examining the topic of language teacher identity (Pavlenko, 2003; Morgan, 2004; Varguese et al 2005; Tsui, 2007; Atay & Ece, 2009; Zacharias, 2010; Trejo-Guzman, 2010; Kanno & Stuart, 2011; e Bukor, 2011) for it hasThe processes of construction, deconstruction and reconstruction ...been considered a crucial element to better understand what goes on in the classroom and to inform the designing of additional language teacher education programs. According to Assis-Peterson (2008), a perspective to the teaching and learning of additional languages that goes beyond the method started to gain space in the nineties, which allowed macro and micro contextual factors that influence teachers’ practices in the classroom to be taken into consideration In this perspective, the social actors and their subjectivities receive special attention, and “the very identity of the teacher starts to be seen as a central component in the sociocultural and sociopolitical scenario of the classroom and of the teacher’s professional development” (Assis-Peterson & Silva, 2010:1451). In the Brazilian context, there has been an increasing number of studies investigating English language teachers professional identity as evidenced in recent publications (Telles, 2004, Silva et al, 2007; Reis et al, 2011; Barros & Assis-Peterson, 2010; Barcelos & Coelho, 2010; e Denardi & Gil, 2015). IFSC is a self-governed public institution which offers professional

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Conclusion