FACTORS IN THE PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT OF ALTERNATIVELY CERTIFIED ENGLISH LANGUAGES TEACHERS (ACELTS)

Abstract

This study investigates the contributing factors that are influential in the professional identity development (PID) of alternatively certified English language teachers (hereafter as ACELTs). 12 English language teachers with alternative teaching certificates participated in the study. The data were collected through self-reflection journals, in-class observations and semi-structured interviews during a 15-week semester. The results obtained from the data revealed that there are two main categories of factors that affect the PID of ACELTs which are the external and the internal factors, that is, the professional identity of ACELTs is a combination of effects of the external and the internal factors. It was concluded that the external factors assume re(shaping) roles whereas the internal ones act as lenses through which the enforcements of the external factors are filtered. Moreover, the findings revealed the existence of a context-bound professional identity of ACELTs which is in search of professional development to break the routines created by the context and the enforcement of the administration. Keywords: teacher identity, professional development, alternative teaching certificate, alternatively certified English language teachers.