The effect of change on teachers’ emotions and identity in a tertiary college in the Middle East

Abstract

This study is set in a further education setting in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It aims to deepen understanding of the effect of educational change on teachers’ emotions, to explore the various ways that teachers respond to change, and to uncover whether, and in what ways, teachers renegotiate their identities in response to change. This study is set against a background of significant educational change in the UAE during the past 30 years. The research institution is a tertiary college preparing Emirati students for Bachelor’s degrees in a range of technical and vocational courses. Highly qualified and experienced teachers are recruited globally and are of diverse nationalities. The study uses a sample of six mid-career expatriate teachers who have been teaching in the research institution for more than five years. Data is collected over a six-month period through semi-structured interviews and documentary evidence from the research institution. The main findings demonstrate that teachers appraise change and respond emotionally in various ways depending on its congruence with their professional beliefs. The significance of this study is that it identifies how agentic teachers are able to develop and transform their identities through boundary experiences.