On Becoming a Language Teacher-Researcher: Framing Identity Development through Narratives and Metaphors

Holden Kenneth Gatdula Alcazaren

doi:10.63385/ipt.v2i2.366

Abstract

Beyond the individualistic and social debate, discussions on identity have paved the way for a discursive turn, looking into the strong link of language and discourse that creates formative impact on identity formation and development. With literature proving the relationship of discourse and identity, the present study examined how language teacher-researcher identities were developed as reflected in oral narratives and metaphors. Using narrative inquiry, the study utilized audio diaries of selected language teacher-researchers (n = 2) to collect narratives and metaphors for analysis. Both participants were English language teachers in the basic education while completing their PhD degrees and conducting individual research projects. Based on the analysis, metaphors exemplified how language teacher-researcher identities were shaped by one’s contextual setting and guided by one’s social environment. Recognizing how metaphors were contextually created and culturally grounded, metaphors represent the participants’ conditions and views of their socio-environment contexts, which may include their experiences with their peers and their workplace. Moreover, narratives reflect how these identities have continuously evolved as one gains more research experiences over time. The evidence of shifting identities of these language teacher-researchers was revealed to be a result of their agency to participate and perform in the ‘figured world’ of the academe. These results can provide implications for various educational policies that involve the research functions of language teachers.

Innovations in Pedagogy and Technology

On Becoming a Language Teacher-Researcher: Framing Identity Development through Narratives and Metaphors

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