(Re)construction of EFL Teachers' Professional Identity in Curriculum Implementation: A Narrative Inquiry

Abstract

The current research is a narrative inquiry aiming to explore the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ professional identity construction process in the context of curriculum implementation within a Foundation Year Programme (FYP), at an English Language Institute (ELI) of one of the most renowned public universities in Saudi Arabia. The study focused on exploring how the EFL teachers reconstruct and negotiate their professional identities amid their efforts in the context of a Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) curriculum implementation. It intended to investigate what tensions the EFL teachers experienced during their efforts in putting in practice the curriculum change policies. It also highlighted how various contextual factors affected the EFL teachers’ professional identity formation process. Grounded in the interpretive paradigm, the study employed a narrative inquiry approach to explore the EFL teachers’ lived experiences and analyzed their personal and professional stories to examine how they perceived themselves and were perceived by others. Data were collected mainly through narrative interviewing. The transcribed data were restoried to provide a plot-line structure to the participants’ narratives. In addition, the data were analyzed using thematic analysis and categorized into themes and categories in the meaning making and interpretation process. The findings indicated that the EFL teachers’ early life experiences contributed significantly to the construction of their professional identities by preparing them to acquire appropriate qualification and professional skills to become EFL teachers. Moreover, the EFL teachers’ professional agency and self-efficacy were strongly compromised due to their lack of participation in curriculum change decisions. Furthermore, the EFL teachers went through multiple tensions by resisting tacitly to the change policies, exploiting Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) according to their students’ needs, and negotiating with the prescribed curriculum (pacing guide). In addition, various contextual factors like issues in classroom management, students’ lack of motivation, dichotomic and discriminatory relationship between Native English-Speaking Teachers (NESTs) and Non-native English-Speaking Teachers (NNESTs) and administrative policies also played a crucial role in shaping their professional identities. The study made various recommendations for maintaining a strong sense of professional identity among the participants including their engagement in all stages of curriculum development and implementation for future consideration.