RECONSTRUCTION OF IRANIAN ENGLISH FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHERS’ PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY IN ONLINE CLASSES

TitleRECONSTRUCTION OF IRANIAN ENGLISH FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHERS’ PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY IN ONLINE CLASSES
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2021
AuthorsFallah, R, Chalak, A, Heidari Tabrizi, H.
JournalProblems of Education in the 21st Century
Volume79
Issue6
Start Page858-879
PaginationContinuous
Date PublishedDecember/2021
Type of ArticleOriginal article
ISSN1822-7864
Other NumbersE-ISSN 2538-7111
Keywordscommunities of practice, English as a foreign language, language institute, online professional identity, qualitative approach
Abstract

Because of the Covid-19 outbreak, all academic institutions all over the world swiftly shifted to reconstitute the presentation of their courses that customarily took place on campus. This study explored the kind of online professional identities that English teachers in private language institutes constructed during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Additionally, it examined possible impacts of adopting online solutions on teachers’ performance and teaching skills and their perceptions of communities of practice and their effect on their PI in online classes during this period. The study was conducted on 35 English teachers, teaching English in language institutes in Yazd, Iran. The study followed a qualitative approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted individually and also in groups, to gain access to their lived experiences of running online classes. Results revealed four main characteristics that (re)constructed and affected teachers’ PI in online classes, namely, teachers’ role, competency and self-effectiveness, appreciation and connection, and future plans. The findings also revealed that streamlined communication and communities of practice were very beneficial in (re)constructing their changing identities in online classes. Membership in communities of practice was found to be an essential action to make teachers’ teaching skills and social learning better and share common experiences. The results showed that these aspects highly influence the teachers’ reconstruction of PI in a positive way in language institutes.

URLhttp://oaji.net/articles/2021/457-1639553956.pdf
DOI10.33225/pec/21.79.858
Refereed DesignationRefereed
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