ERIC Number: EJ1347405
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0022-4871
EISSN: EISSN-1552-7816
Available Date: N/A
Contributions of a Professional Development Course to Language Teacher Identity Development: Critical Incidents in Focus
Nazari, Mostafa; De Costa, Peter I.
Journal of Teacher Education, v73 n4 p366-380 Sep-Oct 2022
Despite the widely recognized significance of critical incidents (CIs) in teachers' professional learning, little research has investigated the role of CIs in language teacher identity development. This study attempts to fill this gap by exploring the contributions of a Telegram-based professional development course--framed around CI storying--to the language teacher identity development process of a group of teachers. Data were collected from 10 teachers before, during, and after the course. Data analyses indicated that, before the course, CIs negatively influenced the teachers' agency and emotions. Participation in the course contributed, however, to the teachers' enhanced agency and greater emotion regulation. In addition, the course afforded the teachers an opportunity to experience further professional socialization and collegial engagement. Our findings revealed that during the course, the teachers developed greater expertise in storying their CIs and discussed higher order issues relevant to the multiplicity of identity as connected to sociocultural-educational dimensions. These findings suggest that emotions and agency are two significant identity aspects that are profoundly influenced by and influence CIs. Our article closes with a discussion of the implications of embedding CIs in professional development courses to help teachers (re)construct their identities.
Descriptors: Professional Development, Professional Identity, Psychological Patterns, Professional Autonomy, Communities of Practice, English (Second Language), Language Teachers, Foreign Countries, Critical Incidents Method
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Iran
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A