Learning Identity Research Articles

The role of reflection in learner identity construction. A sociocultural and dialogical approach / El papel de la reflexión en el proceso de construcción de la identidad de aprendiz. Una aproximación sociocultural y dialógica

The purpose of this article is to present a theoretical-conceptual proposal that enables us to articulate two psychological processes that play an essential role in different educational settings yet are seldom explicitly addressed together: identity construction and reflection processes. Specifically, we will analyse the way reflection is a prime tool for reconstructing learner identity. In the first part, we conceptualize reflection processes from a sociocultural and dialogical approach. In the second part, we explain our theoretical approach to identity construction processes, define the concept of learner identity and highlight the role played by reflection in identity construction. To conclude, we will suggest several guidelines for promoting student reflection on their own learning processes and on themselves as learners with the goal of facilitating their development of an enabling learner identity that allows them to continue learning in different settings and times in their lives.

On Not Translating: Making History in the French Language Classroom

Published in 1930 by Angus and Robertson, Souvenirs d’une Parisienne aux antipodes was proclaimed the first Australian book to be published in French. A collection of three autobiographical narratives, the book tracks Marie Niau’s life, from the siege of Paris (1870–71) to four years on a selection in the Daintree in the 1880s. Heralded by the mainstream press as worthy of a place in Australian archives yet labelled ‘a delightful little French reader’ elsewhere, the composite nature of the book and its multiple enunciative contexts confounded expectations where both language textbooks and historical narrative were concerned. Drawing on Paul John Eakin’s understanding of autobiography as narrative identity transaction and Claire Kramsch’s concept of multilingual subjectivity, this article focuses on the performative potential of the book in Australian classrooms with respect to learner identity and historical consciousness.

The transformational possibilities of liberal vocationalism: a case study of post-year 10 Outdoor Education in Western Australia

ABSTRACT This paper discusses the transformative potential that liberal vocationalism, aligned with contemporary visions of lifelong and lifewide learning, presents for outdoor learning across institutional and industry settings. Utilising Bernstein’s sociological theory, the paper explores this transformation through an illustrative case study of the relations, knowledges and identities of post-Year10 Outdoor Education in Western Australia (WA). The case study highlights how Outdoor Education in WA has been organised through distinct classificatory relations that exist between government, regulatory bodies and individual industry providers that serve to distinguish Outdoor Education from outdoor learning that is ongoing and able to be pursued by people of any age in many and varied learning contexts. These classificatory relations are shown to be reflected in established qualification and training structures, privileged knowledges and particular subject and learner identities. It is argued that consequently, current post-Year10 Outdoor Education provision has a generated a vision of outdoor learning and vocationalism that constrains learners’ access to and engagement with lifelong and lifewide experiences that can enhance their own and others’ lives. In response, three foci are presented that constitute a heuristic framework via which transformative possibilities can be progressed. The first focus calls for progressive relations between institutional education, industry and community stakeholders in the creative re-design of qualification structures and educational experiences. The second underlies the need for qualification and training structures to enable all learners equitable access to knowledges for lifelong and lifewide learning. The third argues for the construction of new therapeutic identities in Outdoor Education that enables learners to orientate towards an experience of outdoor learning that is autonomous and flexible in both theory and practice. The paper concludes by considering research and teaching directions that can facilitate the realisation of these possibilities.

An exploration of children’s learner identities while experiencing outdoor learning in the Irish primary school context

ABSTRACT The aim of the Irish primary school curriculum is to develop the child holistically [Department of Education and Science. 1999. The Primary School Curriculum. Dublin: The Stationery Office. Available at: www.curriculumonline.ie/Primary.] in both indoor and outdoor environments [NCCA, National Council for Curriculum and Assessment. 2023. “Draft Primary Curriculum Framework for Consultation.” National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA).]. The benefits of Outdoor Learning align with Learner Identity competencies. Learner Identity can be described as how a child views themselves as a learner [Kolb, Alice Y., and David A. Kolb. 2012. “Learning Identity.” In Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning, edited by Norbert M. Seel, 1889–1893. Boston, MA: Springer US.; Lawson, Alison. 2014. “Learner Identities in the Context of Undergraduates: A Case Study.” Educational Research 56 (3): 343–356.]. This research explores how Outdoor Learning can develop Learner Identity competencies in children through the voice of the child. The research was qualitative in nature. Data collection included the children’s reflections and focus group interviews. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis [Braun, Virginia, and Victoria Clarke. 2022. Thematic Analysis: A Practical Guide. Los Angeles: SAGE.]. The findings presented as composite narratives, indicate that children showed development of Learner Identity competencies during Outdoor Learning. The benefits and competencies gained occurred because of the embodied, autonomous, relational, and reflective experiences that Outdoor Learning provides for learners.

When EFL learner identity intersects with their investment: Stories from Indonesia

Current research has looked at learner identity as a single construct and is studied as a separate entity from English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ investment in learning. While the issue has gained much attention in recent times, there is an urgency to explore the intersection of learner identity and investment in English as a foreign language learning. To fill this lacuna, the present study employed a narrative inquiry to understand four Indonesian EFL learners’ identity construction and their investment. Data were garnered from individual semi-structured interviews that discerned the participants’ prior English learning experiences, present perspectives on learning English, and their future aspirations. In analyzing the data, we followed Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-step analysis procedure. Findings suggest that learners’ prior learning experiences, current perspectives about the role of English in global communications, and their participation in the community of practice serve as mediators in their identity construction process and investment practices. In addition, investment influenced the way the participants constructed their identities as EFL learners. This study suggests the incorporation of identity-awareness pedagogy into the ELT curriculum in order to create more inclusive EFL teaching and learning practices.

Complementary schools as ‘breathing spaces’: identity, multilingualism and critical pedagogies in heritage language education

Whilst mainstream schools in England may encourage multilingualism by insisting on the study of foreign languages, multilingual children are not always provided with support for the maintenance of their heritage languages and cultures. In response to this shortcoming, communities organise themselves to support their young members by setting up extra-curricular education institutions or associations, also called complementary schools, which contribute to the cultural and linguistic maintenance of minority communities. Through emblematic extracts from a fourteen-month ethnographic research in an Italian complementary school in London, this article examines how HL learners engage in and reflect on their multilingual practices and how they develop agency in their learning environment. The findings illustrate how critical modes of teaching and learning that make space for multilingualism can provide children with unique opportunities to discover, explore and experiment with their multilingual and multicultural selves, which, in turn, permit them to access linguistic resources and legitimise multilingual learner identities. Expanding on Fishman’s notion of ‘breathing space’, the article suggests that complementary schools represent a space where minority languages but also pedagogical practices can breathe and develop.

Second Language Identity of Chinese Junior High School EFL Learners: Its Construction and Sources

Second Language Identity of Chinese Junior High School EFL Learners: Its Construction and Sources

Profiling the multifaceted identities among multilingual Tibetan college students learning Chinese and English in Xizang

ABSTRACT Language identity has a significant effect on language learning. However, the complex and multifaceted language identities of multilingual learners, especially those from ethnic minority groups such as Tibetan learners in China, remain underexplored. Using Q methodology, this study examined the construction of Chinese, English, and multilingual identities among 48 Tibetan students (25 English majors, 23 non-English majors) studying at a college in Xizang. Five distinct identity profiles emerged: two for the English majors and three for the non-English majors. The results revealed Tibetan students’ strong identification with Chinese and pragmatic views of English and multilingual competencies, especially in terms of career advancement. Further, some students from both groups constructed a general multilingual identity beyond any individual language, in contrast to some non-English majors, who had a more passive outlook toward English and multilingualism due to limited confidence and/or interest in language learning. The findings underscore the need for nuanced language education strategies tailored to diverse identity profiles. The implications of enhancing multilingual education in Xizang and other similar contexts are provided.

Perceptions of feedback and engagement with feedback among undergraduates: an educational identities approach

Engaging with feedback has been widely shown to support learning, but levels of engagement with feedback among individual students varies considerably. This study assessed educational identities to understand this variation, while also seeking to confirm the distinct but related role of perceptions of feedback. One hundred and seventy undergraduate students in the UK completed an online questionnaire to assess their perceptions of feedback, engagement with feedback, learner identity, consumer identity, and discipline identity, as well as provide age, gender, ethnicity, and level of study. As predicted, perceptions of feedback was significantly positively correlated with engagement with feedback, and learner identity and discipline identity were also significantly positively correlated with perceptions of feedback and engagement with feedback. Data were subsequently analysed to test various hypotheses about the interactions among these variables. Critically, we found support for the proposed mediating effect of perceptions of feedback on the relation between learner identity and engagement with feedback, however, consumer identity did not moderate this effect. These findings suggest that students who demonstrate the greatest engagement with feedback are those with a strong learner identity, thus, interventions to promote learner identity may increase students’ engagement with feedback and ultimately improve their outcomes.

Transition as transformation: developing student identities and academic literacies through university enabling pathways in Australia

In response to the global widening participation movement, most Australian universities now offer enabling programmes as pathways to degrees. These programmes play an important role in supporting students from underrepresented backgrounds to access higher education, supporting individuals to develop a sense of belonging and establish student identities alongside academic skills. However, what these students find most beneficial and supportive in transition to university is poorly understood. To investigate student perspectives on what supports their success at university, research was conducted with undergraduates who entered an Australian university through enabling pathways. Student reflections on individual educational trajectories highlight the transformative role of pathway programmes. Interview analysis provided recommendations for supporting new students, which will be useful for educators and widening participation practitioners. A critical pedagogical approach illuminates how confidence and capability are developed through scaffolded learning and constructive feedback, highlighting the educator’s role in supporting students to build learner identities and academic literacies. Students form a sense of belonging through peer networks and time spent in the university environment. Through scaffolded support, students develop individual management strategies for complex contexts and are empowered to contribute new knowledges, which leads to opportunities for individual and broader societal transformation.

Assessing The Impact of Socio-Economic Related Mathematical Learner Identity on Student Performance in Mathematics Among Secondary Schools: A Case Study of Kilifi County, Kenya

Assessing The Impact of Socio-Economic Related Mathematical Learner Identity on Student Performance in Mathematics Among Secondary Schools: A Case Study of Kilifi County, Kenya

The Profile of Young Diverse Learners in Academic Background: A Scoping Review based on Social Intelligence

An essential element in a learner’s educational development is social intelligence. It gives us the ability to know ourselves and others, and is as essential an aspect of experience as the ability to perceive things. The main focus of this review study is social intelligence in relation to the academic background and personal identity (diversity or social identity) of young and diverse learners. This review focuses on the social intelligence of learners; their behavior patterns, gender, socio-economic status, parental profile, socio-economic status, and their ethnic background and especially the social intelligence of learners with disabilities. This allows educators to help learners with social intelligence disadvantages develop healthy interactions with their peers. Even though many studies have been conducted on the social intelligence of learners with various personal identities, but this study uniquely supports the social intelligence of young learners with emphasis on demographic characteristics. Overall, strategies for maintaining healthy social intelligence can be developed to meet the individual needs of learners. This strategy also addresses the identified issues, taking into account the different needs of the learners. This study result will reveals a crisp and concept clarity on the basis of social intelligence of young learners, induces the young community to pass over their schooling with sound knowledge with the assistance of authorities.

Fostering Autonomous Learning in Oral English Through Role Play: An Exploration in Course Setting

Enhancing student motivation to manage their learning process and attain self-transformation in Oral English learning presents a notable challenge. This study emerged from a Role Play Oral English Course (RPOEC) which utilizes English cartoon film clips to enhance primary students’ oral English skills through role play, facilitating meaningful language input and output. Implemented in a Chinese context where English language exposure is limited, this qualitative case study, combined with action research, explores how autonomous learning is fostered through RPOEC. The study engaged a Grade Six class of 30 students (25 girls and 5 boys) in northern China, investigating strategies to trigger learners’ interests and form their independent learner identities autonomously, empower learners in their educational journey, encourage reflective practices in oral English learning, and involve learners in evaluative processes. Data, collected through a combination of observations, focus group discussions, and document analysis for three months, were thematically analyzed across four intertwined perspectives: situated learning, interactive communication, cooperative learning, and evaluative discussions. The paper posits that the outlined curricular approach can be tailored to educators’ needs aiming to cultivate students’ oral English skills within a situated, interactive, and collaborative learning environment, pushing learners towards autonomous engagement.

Interplay of Language and Identity in Education: Prospection for Urdu and English Language and Second Language Teaching and Learning

Educational contexts are the primary sites for the promulgation of linguistic ideologies and for determining the linguistic market for a language. English language in Pakistan is considered vital for mundane, official, and academic activities hence its learning gains currency in the polity. Conversely, the learning outputs are unsatisfactory which necessitates understanding how English language learners perceive themselves concerning the languages they are taught in the educational context. This study explains the language identity for Urdu (L1) and English (L2) of Pakistani undergraduate English as second language (ESL) learners for institutionally recognized and prescribed languages in the national curriculum to explicate the interplay of language and identity of learners in educational settings. Learners’ demographic profiles (previous education, schooling system, language proficiency, and family’s socio-economic status) were also inquired to understand relationship variation across demographic traits. A validated survey questionnaire was administered to a sample (N=316) comprising male and female students from 28 different programmes at a large public university in Karachi. Descriptive analysis and one-way ANOVA were carried out using the IBM SPSS 22 version. The findings attest to learners’ hybrid identity revealing attachment neither with L1 nor to L2. Learners acknowledged the privileged status of the English language in polity and preferred British English compared to the indigenous variety of Pakistani English [PakE] echoing the language ideologies permeated through the Educational context. They also endorsed English language speaking skills for gaining higher recompenses in society however deluded themselves in code[1]switching instead of practicing speaking skills. Besides, no significant difference was found in the language identity of ESL learners across demographic traits. The study has strong implications for devising language policies for education and adopting pedagogical approaches calling to accentuate language identity as a catalyst in the teaching-learning process and not considering linguistic diversity a barrier in the multilingual context.

Institutional habitus, cultural capital, and STEAM learner identity in the context of rural Chinese technical vocational education and training: critical participatory action research

Institutional habitus, cultural capital, and STEAM learner identity in the context of rural Chinese technical vocational education and training: critical participatory action research

Exploring Learner Identity in ICLE from a Cross-Cultural Perspective: A Scientometric Analysis Based on Cite Space

Exploring Learner Identity in ICLE from a Cross-Cultural Perspective: A Scientometric Analysis Based on Cite Space

Language learning using Pacific picturebooks in an Aotearoa New Zealand kindergarten

Māori and Pacific learners in Aotearoa New Zealand have been identified as ‘priority learners’ by the Ministry of Education. The ‘Pacific picturebook project’ is ongoing research focussed on picturebooks selected to support the languages, cultures, and identities of Pacific learners in keeping with our government, Teaching Council and Ministry of Education expectations. This phase of the research was located in a kindergarten where teachers and children identify as Māori, Pākehā and from several Pacific Island nations. Teachers shared a selection of Pacific picturebooks with the children and recorded their own and the children’s responses to them over a kindergarten term. Thematic analysis of data showed that Pacific picturebooks were significant pedagogical tools for language learning, to support identity, and to contribute to the kindergarten’s emergent and localised curriculum. These findings clearly illustrate what pedagogy looks like when it is entrenched in key documents relevant to early learning in this country.

The learner identity of adolescents with trajectories of resilience: the role of risk, academic experience, and gender

In at-risk areas of social exclusion, a higher number of adolescents drop out of school. Dropout from compulsory education and early school leaving are associated with unemployment, poverty, and greater health problems, posing a significant threat to the youth’s development and wellbeing. Nevertheless, some students manage to pursue formal education even in high-risk areas, exhibiting resilience. Interwoven between the processes of risk and resilience, the students’ identity development plays a vital role. The present study aimed to analyze the learner identity of students who exhibit a resilience trajectory in areas at risk of social exclusion, and its relation to the degree of risk they face, their academic experience, and their gender. The sample consisted of 132 students from at-risk neighborhoods in Spain who successfully completed compulsory secondary education and continued beyond that level. To measure their academic selves, a modified version of the Twenty Statement Test (TST) was used, which was analyzed using a category system that included four dimensions: organization of the self, emotional valence, plane of action, and thematic reference. The results indicate the participants primarily used personal, positive, evaluative self-descriptions related to the academic world, mostly based on effort. A higher degree of risk was associated to more self-descriptions referring good relationships with others and class attendance, while higher academic experience was associated to more independent selves. The study also found several gender differences. The implications of these findings for research and social intervention in at-risk contexts are discussed.

“I come from a poor family”: deciphering how working-class young men aspire to and experience their journeys in STEM higher education

AbstractWorking-class young men are often pathologised for their perceived lack of white-collar career aspirations. Historically, and in our present context, only a select minority of working-class males pursue higher education. Of those who attend, few choose to study STEM, which is often associated with academic rigour, competition and prestige. As a result, we know little about the motivations and experiences of working-class men pursuing STEM degrees. The aim of this paper is to decipher some of the complex interweaving of masculinities, social class and learner identities in STEM through focusing on three key themes from a longitudinal study focused on first-in-family males: (1) desire for financial stability and fulfilment; (2) internalising pressure; (3) struggles with social acclimatisation to university. The research provides some insight into how we can better support males from non-traditional backgrounds who aspire to pathways that contrast greatly with their socio-economic background.

Rethinking assessment? Research into the affective impact of higher education grading

Assessment plays a central role in learning in higher education (HE), but often the impact of grading assessment on student motivation, behaviour and wellbeing is insufficiently considered in policy and practice. With the growing concern in the HE sector about student mental health, a consideration of the affective dimension of grading is timely. The discussion in this paper on the affective dimension of grading is based on research conducted during the pandemic on the ‘no-detriment’ implementation of pass/fail assessment at the University of the Arts London (UAL). Qualitative research was undertaken with first-and second-year undergraduate students in the fields of creative arts, design and communication to investigate the effects of the switch from letter grading to pass/fail and student views on grading more generally. Our findings suggest that grading affects student stress, anxiety, learner identity, motivation, student self-expression, creativity, and peer relationships. In the light of our findings, we bring together discourses about assessment, grading and student wellbeing to consider the longer-term implications for assessment practices in a post-pandemic world.