“‘We're Not Whom We Imagined!”’ Exploring Novice Language Teacher Educators' Identity (Re)construction
A Narrative Case Study From the Perspective of Social Cognition Representation
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21446154 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ming Li (0000-0001-7109-5084, Institute of International Studies Southwest University Chongqing China, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 60 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Publication date | 2025-12-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | European Journal of Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0141-8211 • E-ISSN: 1465-3435 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/ejed.70246 |
| OpenAlex | W4414150033 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 48 |
This study explores the identity development of novice language teacher educators (NLTEs) as they transition from imagined identities to practiced identities within professional contexts. Drawing on social cognition representation theory, the research examines how NLTEs construct, negotiate, and enact their professional identities, focusing on the interplay between personal aspirations and institutional expectations. Based on data from multiple sources, mainly semi‐structured interviews, the findings reveal tensions between imagined identities, often characterised by research‐oriented aspirations, and the institutional demands, including pedagogical responsibilities and performance‐based pressures such as the ‘publish or perish’ culture. These tensions are mediated by NLTEs' cognitive representations of their identities, informed by prior experiences, professional environments, and social interactions. The study highlights the dynamic and context‐dependent nature of identity (re)construction, offering implications on how universities can support NLTEs in aligning their imagined and practiced identities. Recommendations include fostering NLTEs' agency on identity development and balancing research and teaching expectations to facilitate NLTEs' professional growth and well‐being
Agency (philosophy) · Cognition · Identity (music) · Identity formation · Narrative · Perspective (graphical) · Professional development · Representation (politics) · Sense of agency · Social identity theory · Educational and Psychological Assessments · EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning · Second Language Learning and Teaching
Narrative Approaches to Exploring Language, Identity and Power in Language Teacher Education
Teacher identity and agency in an era of accountability
Thriving not just surviving
Understanding teacher identity
Novice language teacher identity construction
A Critical Analysis of the Assessment for Micro-teaching Program for English Language Teachers in the Secondary Education in Mainland China
Obstacles to foreign language teacher educators’ research development
Balancing teacher educators’ researcherly and pedagogical dispositions – an example from Norway
Understanding the professional identity of university-based teacher educators
Novice nontraditional teacher educators’ identity (re)construction in higher education
Publish and still perish? Learning to make the ‘right’ publishing choices in the Ghanaian academy
Early-career academics’ grappling with multi-dimensional duties in the one-dimensional academic world
An identity-informed narrative study of teacher attrition
Higher education-based teacher educators’ researcherly disposition
Navigating identity tensions in changing higher education
Mapping the Negative Emotional Trajectories of Chinese University Novice English Foreign Language Teachers Across Developmental Stages
A systematic review of the teaching-research nexus in language teacher education
A critical review on nonnative English teacher identity research
Learning on the fly
A Journey of Discovery
Researcher or teacher-of-teachers
Constituting ethical academics in teacher education
From the imagined to the practiced
Teacher emotions and agency enactment in online teaching
Research and teacher education in the UK
Every experience is a moving force”
Reconsidering research on teachers’ professional identity
Identity and Language Learning
Exploring Contradiction‐Driven Language Teacher Identity Transformation During Curriculum Reforms
A Short Story Approach to Analyzing Teacher (Imagined) Identities Over Time
Resilience, Agency and Coping with Hardship
Narrative research in language teaching and learning
Complexities of Identity Formation
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |