“Not waiting for the storm to pass, but dancing in the rain”: professional identity construction of efl teachers at tutoring institutions

Abstract

Abstract Studies of EFL teachers’ professional identity have experienced a sociological turn. As a result, much research attention has been showered upon exploring EFL teachers’ identity construction under the multiple interactions of individual and social factors. However, there are few documented studies concerning the EFL teachers at tutoring institutions, as a marginalized community of teachers. To this end, the present study drew on the narrative inquiry and case study to indicate the dynamic trajectories of identity construction among EFL teachers at tutoring institutions under the “Double Reduction” policy. 8 EFL teachers were recruited from Chinese tutoring institutions to participate in the semi-structural interviews. The analysis elucidated identity construction of EFL teachers at tutoring institutions from a sociocultural perspective. The construction path could fall into three-story constellations: the initial stage (idealized and flat), the exploratory stage (unstable and insufficient) and the renewal stage (thoughtful and far-sighted). Meanwhile, identity construction has also undergone four changes: enthusiast, victim but explorer, and aspirant. These outcomes may offer critical implications for policymakers and teacher educators to recognize and support the professional development of teachers at tutoring institutions amid policy shifts and contextual challenges.

Keywords

• “Double Reduction” policy
• EFL teachers at tutoring institutions
• Professional identity construction
• Sociocultural theory