‘You’re expected to just know’: a thematic analysis of teacher responses to children’s anxiety in New Zealand classrooms

Teacher identity, a complex and dynamic phenomenon, is shaped by various social and institutional factors. While previous research has established teacher identity as a critical factor in educational outcomes, this study specifically examines how different aspects of professional identity influence teachers' responses to classroom setbacks. Employing a quantitative research approach, this study investigates the role identity of English teachers through survey data. The primary objective is to explore the correlation between the professional identity of university-level English teachers and their proficiency in managing classroom setbacks. Data were gathered through surveys administered to 86 English teachers in Kyrenia, focusing on educators affiliated with FIU, GAU, GU, CSU, and ARUCAD during the 2023–2024 academic year. Two scales were utilized: "Teacher's Ability to Manage Classroom Setbacks" and "Teacher's Role Identity." The analysis demonstrates that English language teachers in Kyrenia maintain relatively strong professional identities across multiple dimensions, with particularly high identification in learner, pundit, and interaction supervisor roles. These findings suggest that teachers in this context view themselves primarily as continuous learners, subject matter experts, and facilitators of student interaction. The results collectively indicate that teacher identity and classroom setback management are complex, multifaceted constructs influenced more by institutional and contextual factors than by individual characteristics or general competence perceptions. While teachers demonstrate strong professional identities, the ability to manage classroom challenges appears more dependent on institutional support, specific role combinations, and environmental factors than on overall identity strength or demographic characteristics. Bridging the gap between teachers' identity beliefs and their classroom decisions may inform interventions that foster positive school outcomes, including improved student behaviour and academic achievement.

In This Issue

Though teacher identity is currently receiving an increasing amount of attention in the literature on teacher education and teacher development, little information is available about the richness, fluidity and individuality of EFL teacher identities in various L2 settings. This preliminary case inquiry has echoed that comment by exploring qualitatively how language teacher identity features in the participant's categorization of herself as a professional during her school-to-work transition at a shadow school in hinterland China. Drawing on semi-structured interviews and reflection essays, the triangulated data were analyzed with thematic analysis in order to find categories of enacted identities and key factors that impacted Jane's teacher identity formation. The results indicate four identities existed: an attendant, a firefighter, a coolie and a tramp. The fundamental predicaments hovering over the green employer encompass an array of contextual factors, including (1) overwhelming anxieties for potential early student leavers; (2) overhuge workload and fluid working schedule; (3) endless non-teaching related commitments; (4) lack of career prospect and development ladder. The results of the study contribute to the understanding of the complex and dynamic nature of teacher identity influenced by sociocultural landscapes where language teachers are situated. The research suggests implications for teacher educators and stakeholders on how to transform a novice to a qualified EFL teacher within the ideology and discouraging discourse of a burgeoning privately-owned training market, and on how to mediate green teachers' agency and autonomy against the bottlenecks of their initial years of teaching.

The research aims at exploring how macro and micro contextual factors have influenced on the construction ofEnglish as a foreign language (EFL) teachers’ identity in education reform contexts in Chile based on socioculturaltheories. Grounded theory was used in the methodological design to analyse and categorize data utilizing theATLAS.ti software. Deep semi-structured and focus group interviews were used to collect data, and twelve EFLteachers participated in the research. From a macro contextual environment, results show that educational demandsturn into bureaucracy and a non-coherent EFL national curriculum which have weakened teachers’ identity resultingin a sense of frustration and resignation. Micro contextual factors have emotional (appreciation, student/teacher bond,and work climate) and cognitive dimensions (in-service training) with a dual role – strengthening or weakening EFLteachers’ identities.

The study investigated how English language teachers in Ghana construct their identities as teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ESL teachers who were selected through purposive sampling. The data was analysed qualitatively by coding, identifying, categorising and interpreting the emerging themes. It was found that the ESL teachers’ identity is defined by three elements: personal attributes, professional attributes, and contextual factors. On the personal level, the identity of the ESL teachers is characterised by passion, diligence, self-efficacy, and sense of inadequacy. Professionally, subject-matter knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and technological knowledge were found. Lastly, key contextual identity defining factors are curriculum and educational policies, classroom conditions and intrinsic motivation from learners’ success stories. The study recommends further investigation into other factors such as gender on non-native ESL teachers identity formation. Key words: Identity, teacher identity, language teacher identity, identity and teachers of English

Introduction Faculty development initiatives designed to strengthen the teacher identity of health professionals engaged in patient care, research, and teaching are being increasingly reported in the literature. As the combination of these different roles remains a challenge, an alternative approach might be to support the development of synergistic or merged identities, in which each role is perceived valuable and can strengthen others. However, in-depth insight into what such identities look like is limited. In addition, as faculty development supports health professionals not only in their current teaching roles but also in their ongoing professional growth, questions can be asked about how health professionals envision their future identities – including the degree of synergy. Therefore, this study addresses the question: How do health professionals with teaching responsibilities conceptualise their current and future teacher identities in relation to their other professional identities? Methods Using Landscape of Practice and the Possible Selves theories as lenses, we performed a qualitative interpretative study with rich pictures and semi-structured interviews. The nineteen dialogues were analysed thematically. Results Findings highlighted that teacher identity depends on the teaching context as well as the ability to see the connections between one’s different roles. Findings also reveal that the envisioned future identities tend to be similar to the current conceptualisation of identities – partly since contextual factors seem to hinder imagination of a different future situation. Additionally, the educational culture in participants’ working contexts influences how they see themselves as teachers. Discussion These findings hold various implications for faculty development, as they foreground the importance of truly understanding the contexts in which health professionals operate.

<p><b>Identity is constituted in and through language (Norton, 2005) demonstrating social, political and cultural ideologies of individual selves in interaction. Exploring identities of individuals as language users, learners and teachers allows linguistic and applied linguistic researchers to disclose meanings behind complex language related behaviours. This supports insights for the development of language education. </b></p> <p>In the current study, I explore identity performance and identity negotiation of multilingual English language teachers (MELTs) in New Zealand (NZ). I define MELTs as English language teachers who speak any other language(s) in addition to English. Exploring how MELTs perform and negotiate their identities in NZ is important due to several factors. First, people in society have various ideological assumptions regarding multilingual teachers involved in teaching English in an English speaking country; therefore, MELTs are required to negotiate their linguistic and social identities to suit the expectations of the institutions and students they serve. Secondly, there is no known study in NZ focused on MELT identities, even though the population of NZ is diverse, comprised of multilingual communities. Thirdly, revealing identity negotiation of MELTs supports language teacher educators to understand language teacher identities with regard to classroom realities. This provides insights to develop language teacher education programmes accordingly. </p> <p>I employed four different research methods: semi-structured narrative interviews, identity portraits and classroom observations followed by stimulated recall sessions to explore how MELTs perform negotiated identities in the classroom (RQ 1) and what ideological and interactional functions are served when they perform negotiated identities (RQ 2). Data from narrative interviews provided insights to understand teacher identities revealed through their biographies and classroom stories. In addition, teachers’ narratives revealed how teacher identities are constructed and positioned while being negotiated in their stories. Identity portraits and the recorded interactions provided insights to understand how teachers make semiotic links to various linguistic and social identities they perform as English language teachers, providing various indexical meanings to those identities. I observed how teachers perform negotiated identities in interaction with students through classroom observations. I also conducted stimulated recall sessions to investigate teacher responses for classroom scenarios. Triangulated data from all the sources generated themes answering the two research questions.</p> <p>The findings of the study show that MELTs perform multiple negotiated identities in interaction with students and myself with reference to the micro and macro social contexts in which they are situated. MELTs also demonstrate positive and negative identity practices in the classroom based on their English language and English language teaching ideologies. Furthermore, MELTs’ identity performances were observed to serve various ideological and interactional functions in the classroom. For instance, their negotiated identities support them practicing either monolingual or multilingual friendly language teaching. Moreover, some MELTs employ their negotiated linguistic identities to translanguage in the classroom, catering to the language needs of multilingual students. They also negotiate their teacher identities based on contextual factors. Thus, the findings of my study support language teacher educators, researchers and administrators to understand the contribution of MELTs towards English language education in New Zealand.</p>

<p><b>Identity is constituted in and through language (Norton, 2005) demonstrating social, political and cultural ideologies of individual selves in interaction. Exploring identities of individuals as language users, learners and teachers allows linguistic and applied linguistic researchers to disclose meanings behind complex language related behaviours. This supports insights for the development of language education. </b></p> <p>In the current study, I explore identity performance and identity negotiation of multilingual English language teachers (MELTs) in New Zealand (NZ). I define MELTs as English language teachers who speak any other language(s) in addition to English. Exploring how MELTs perform and negotiate their identities in NZ is important due to several factors. First, people in society have various ideological assumptions regarding multilingual teachers involved in teaching English in an English speaking country; therefore, MELTs are required to negotiate their linguistic and social identities to suit the expectations of the institutions and students they serve. Secondly, there is no known study in NZ focused on MELT identities, even though the population of NZ is diverse, comprised of multilingual communities. Thirdly, revealing identity negotiation of MELTs supports language teacher educators to understand language teacher identities with regard to classroom realities. This provides insights to develop language teacher education programmes accordingly. </p> <p>I employed four different research methods: semi-structured narrative interviews, identity portraits and classroom observations followed by stimulated recall sessions to explore how MELTs perform negotiated identities in the classroom (RQ 1) and what ideological and interactional functions are served when they perform negotiated identities (RQ 2). Data from narrative interviews provided insights to understand teacher identities revealed through their biographies and classroom stories. In addition, teachers’ narratives revealed how teacher identities are constructed and positioned while being negotiated in their stories. Identity portraits and the recorded interactions provided insights to understand how teachers make semiotic links to various linguistic and social identities they perform as English language teachers, providing various indexical meanings to those identities. I observed how teachers perform negotiated identities in interaction with students through classroom observations. I also conducted stimulated recall sessions to investigate teacher responses for classroom scenarios. Triangulated data from all the sources generated themes answering the two research questions.</p> <p>The findings of the study show that MELTs perform multiple negotiated identities in interaction with students and myself with reference to the micro and macro social contexts in which they are situated. MELTs also demonstrate positive and negative identity practices in the classroom based on their English language and English language teaching ideologies. Furthermore, MELTs’ identity performances were observed to serve various ideological and interactional functions in the classroom. For instance, their negotiated identities support them practicing either monolingual or multilingual friendly language teaching. Moreover, some MELTs employ their negotiated linguistic identities to translanguage in the classroom, catering to the language needs of multilingual students. They also negotiate their teacher identities based on contextual factors. Thus, the findings of my study support language teacher educators, researchers and administrators to understand the contribution of MELTs towards English language education in New Zealand.</p>

Purpose Although there is a growing body of research highlighting the significance of Lesson Study (LS) activities on teacher professional development, studies on teachers’ experience in LS activities remain limited, and the impact of such experience on their professional identities is not clear. To address this gap, this article adopted the Dynamic Systems Model of Role Identity (DSMRI) as a theoretical framework to examine the development of five novice Chinese EFL teachers’ role identities during their participation in LS. Design/methodology/approach This research employed a qualitative methodology. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with five participants, concentrating on their experiences in LS and their perceptions of their role identities during LS activities. A thematic analysis was performed to identify themes related to the development of the participants’ role identities. Findings This study found that five novice EFL teachers’ experience, changes in their role identities content, structure and process in LS were framed by their initial identities, which further contributed to their new identities' development. Throughout this process, various contextual factors promoted or impeded changes in the alignment, and tensions within and between the role identities of these novice EFL teachers. Research limitations/implications First, as with most qualitative research, the findings have limited generalizability. To address this, future research could include a larger and more diverse sample of novice EFL teachers across various LS settings. Second, since the study primarily relied on retrospective interviews, there is a possibility that participants may have misinterpreted or misremembered their experiences. To mitigate this, future studies could utilize data triangulation and conduct longitudinal research to track teachers’ experiences over time. These approaches would offer a more comprehensive understanding of novice EFL teachers’ experiences and identity development in different types of LS. Practical implications For the successful design and implementation of LS initiatives, this study indicates that it is crucial for school leaders and LS policymakers to consider teachers’ personal histories and contextual factors related to LS. Specifically, when designing LS for novice EFL teachers, school leaders and LS policymakers must prioritize the needs and preferences of novice teachers and address potential barriers such as native speaker norms, rigid teaching schedules and heavy teaching load. Besides, more collaborative reflection and dialogue activities should be integrated in LS to facilitate teachers’ learning in LS as a social identity construction practice. Originality/value The originality of this study resides in its examination of the experiences of novice EFL teachers in LS and how these experiences influence their professional identities. By investigating these aspects, the study fills existing gaps in understanding EFL teachers’ learning in LS from an identity lens and offers valuable insights for schools on how to enforce more effective LS practices.

Variations in communicative participation of children with developmental language disorder (DLD) cannot be wholly explained by their language difficulties alone and may be influenced by contextual factors. Contextual factors may support or hinder communicative participation in children, which makes their identification clinically relevant. To investigate which contextual (environmental and personal) factors in early childhood are protective, risk or neutral factors for communicative participation among school-aged children with DLD, and to identify possible gaps in knowledge about this subject. A scoping review was conducted based on a systematic search of studies published from January 2007 to March 2022 in Pubmed, Embase (without MEDLINE), CINAHL and PsycINFO. In total, 8802 studies were reviewed using predefined eligibility criteria, of which 32 studies were included for data extraction and critically appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (2021) tools. The methodological quality of included studies was adequate to strong. Personal protective factors identified are being a preschool girl, reaching school age and being prosocial, while personal risk factors are becoming a teenager or adolescent, having low socio-cognitive skills and experiencing comorbid mobility impairment or behavioural problems. Gender after the preschool years and non-verbal abilities were not found to be of influence, and the role of socio-emotional skills is inconclusive. Receiving therapy is an environmental protective factor, while the association between socio-economical family characteristics with communicative participation is inconclusive. Limited research has been conducted on which risk and protective factors present in early childhood are associated with later communicative participation of children with DLD. The influence of co-occurring health conditions, social background variables, individual psychological assets, interpersonal relationships and attitudes of other people represent knowledge gaps. In addition, knowledge about the comparative effectiveness of different types of interventions and service delivery models, and the impact of administrative control, organizational mechanisms and standards established by governments on children's communicative participation is lacking. More longitudinal research is needed focusing on the identification of relevant personal and environmental factors and the interactions between them in relation to communicative participation outcomes. What is already known on this subject Children with DLD experience varying degrees of communicative participation restrictions. Insight into contextual factors that influence communicative participation can help to identify children at risk and inform family and child-centred therapy. Systematic research on contextual factors that facilitate or hinder communicative participation in children with DLD is currently lacking. What this paper adds to existing knowledge Knowledge of protective factors can guide the development of interventions for children and young people with DLD that boost resilience and facilitate communicative participation, while insight into the risk factors can help professionals identify the most vulnerable children and develop interventions that can lift or neutralize barriers present in the life of these children. Specific groups potentially at risk are young boys, children with co-morbid mobility impairment, children with conduct problems, and children reaching adolescence. In contrast, potentially protective factors are reaching school age and being prosocial. In addition, the development of socio-cognitive skills may be beneficial for the communicative participation of children with DLD. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? To support communicative participation, it is important that professionals who work with children with DLD understand which groups are at risk for communicative participation restrictions, and which factors can foster resilience. In the absence of evidence-based instruments for the systematic assessment of personal and environmental factors, consulting parents and children on the contextual factors that they perceive as important remains critical.

Children's subjective well-being and the protective role of friendships, school satisfaction and neighborhood in the face of peer victimization

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the pressing need for teachers to develop competence in harnessing digital technologies for teaching and learning. This urgency was exacerbated at the start of the pandemic when remote teaching was non-negotiable. At an unprecedented scale, online learning is accelerated and creates changes to teachers’ roles and their identities. To better understand how teachers enact professionalism in their practice, examining teacher agency is crucial. Its role in assisting teachers to transit through uncertain times to minimise educational disruptions not only demands respect from the public, but also necessitates further inquiry into teachers’ professional learning. This paper raises issues related to evolving teacher identities and teacher agency in the COVID-19 turn. It particularly points out the importance of making a distinction between content provision and education as teachers create their online presence in remote teaching. Given that teacher identity and agency are negotiated and constructed through relationships, social interactions and contextual factors, this paper uses the formative and design experiments approach as an example to discuss these two concepts. It offers this approach as a way of strengthening teacher identity and agency whilst developing teacher competence in integrating technology into teaching. The paper concludes with a discussion on future research agenda on teacher identity, teacher agency and teacher competence with the goal of creating positive social futures in the COVID-19 turn.

This study reports and analyzes the life stories of one Vietnamese EFL teacher to accentuate the process of teacher identity development throughout their teaching career. The participant’s story was constructed with data from a series of interviews combined with examination of relevant documents. His narrative was then analyzed thematically under the guidance of Wenger's framework. The analysis shows that EFL teachers’ identity is constantly shaped and reshaped depending heavily on contextual factors. Moreover, the study highlights the challenges that arise when institutional settings do not align, forcing teachers to make tough decisions on their teaching practices and ultimately shaping their teacher identity. The findings also explore a strong relation between teachers experiencing tensions or emotional shock within their teaching context and their shift in teacher identities. Lastly, it was found out that teacher spiritual and religious belief towards their teaching practices acts as a source of mediation that contributes to the construction of teacher identity.

This chapter reports on the analysis of the narratives of two non-education-degree teachers to highlight the process of their teacher identity development. The analysis showed that their teacher identities were initially developed during their childhood, but then overshadowed by aspirations to have other professional identities; therefore, they did not enroll in teacher education programs. Upon graduation, they entered the teaching profession either accidentally or deliberately. Their teacher identities were shaped via active participation in teaching and professional development activities, and their ability to negotiate between their teaching competence and the practice required in the school. After their teacher identities were established, often by receiving a teaching qualification, they continued to develop their teacher identities by imagining and negotiating their teaching practices with their future selves. Generally, their teacher identity development involved a complex interaction of personal and contextual factors as well as much effort and resilience.

This study delves into the barriers to forming teacher identity in Kazakhstan after a year of study and development. Early career teacher attrition is often seen as a problem related to personal or contextual factors. This research examined attrition as a process involving both individual and contextual elements. Based on semi-structured interviews with 38 school English teachers about their first professional career path, experiences, and expectations, the thematic analysis revealed 15 themes, which were then categorized into four main themes: higher salary expectations, status, lack of pre-teaching training, and bureaucracy. This article offers practical recommendations, including the development of programs for preserving cultural heritage and professional development, to contribute to the successful formation of teacher identity. Overall, this study discusses critical aspects of modern education in Kazakhstan, outlines the main conclusions, and explores prospects for improving the education system and supporting the development of professional identity among teachers, considering the peculiarities of national culture.