The interplay between EFL teachers’ attitudes and professional identity formation
A systematic review
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22161995 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jian Zhao (0000-0001-9303-6528, University of Malaya), Shanina Sharatol Ahmad Shah (0000-0001-8576-4920, University of Malaya), Siti Hafizah Ab Hamid (0000-0001-9598-8813, Information Technology University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 11 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Frontiers in Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2504-284X • E-ISSN: 2504-284X |
| Publisher | Frontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3389/feduc.2026.1759097 |
| OpenAlex | W7166842333 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 30 |
Introduction Teacher professional identity is central to effective English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education, particularly in reform-intensive and culturally complex contexts. This systematic review examines how EFL teachers' attitudes shape professional identity formation and how this relationship is mediated by institutional support, professional development, career stage, and curriculum reform. Methods Guided by PRISMA 2020, the review synthesised 30 peer-reviewed empirical studies published between 2015 and 2024 and indexed in Scopus, Web of Science, and ERIC. Studies were screened using explicit inclusion and exclusion criteria, appraised through the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT), and analysed using thematic synthesis. Results The review identified six interrelated themes : identity as a dialogical and socially constructed process; attitudes as mediators of reform engagement; professional development as a source of symbolic and cultural capital; institutional power as a condition of identity negotiation; career stage as a moderator of responses to reform; and technology or curriculum change as a trigger for identity reconstruction. The synthesis shows that teacher attitudes are not merely background dispositions but function as mediating and moderating mechanisms through which EFL teachers interpret reform demands and construct professional selves. Discussion The review contributes an integrative synthesis model that foregrounds affective orientation within reform-driven identity work and identifies methodological gaps for future longitudinal, comparative, and mixed-method research
Curriculum · Dialogical self · Moderation · Professional development · EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning · Innovative Education and Learning Practices · Teacher Education and Leadership Studies
Communities of Practice
Teacher communities as a context for professional development
The PRISMA 2020 statement
Methods for the thematic synthesis of qualitative research in systematic reviews
‘How come they struggle with such simple work?’
The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) version 2018 for information professionals and researchers
Positioning Between Structure and Performance
Professional Identity Conflict and (Re)Construction among English Teachers in Iran
Empowerment and transformation
Emotions in Constructing Teaching Self‐Image
Unraveling the Emotions of an English as a Foreign Language Teacher and Their Impact on Professional Identity in Teaching Reform
Frustration drives me to grow’
A dialogical approach to conceptualizing teacher identity
Reconsidering research on teachers’ professional identity
An ethical analysis of native-speaking English teachers’ identity construction in a mainland China university
Theorizing Language Teacher Identity
Identity and a Model of Investment in Applied Linguistics
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |