This study explores how teachers construct and enact agency in professional learning from an activity theory perspective. Through a qualitative case study of three language teachers' experiences within a professional development (PD) program focusing on China's Standards of English Language Ability (CSE), this research identifies agency…

Combining teachers' big and small stories through a hybrid lens, the present study sought to examine the presence of meaning, as a component of well-being, in Iranian English language teachers within the discourse of sanctions, which could shape their positionality towards TESOL. Two themes were extracted: the emergence of critical hope and a…

Research has postulated a link between teachers' beliefs and agentic decisions. This study sought to investigate 215 Iranian EFL preservice teachers' conceptions of assessment, assessment agency, and the interrelationship between these two constructs. Using structural equation modeling, the results revealed that collaboration and reflection…

While research on language teachers' engagement in action research (AR) has received a surge of attention, the influence of AR programs on English language teacher agency remains underexamined. This qualitative study explored how ten English language teachers' perceptions of their agency changed as they participated in an action research…

This study investigated how English teachers in Vietnam exercise their agency in the implementation of the new multiple textbooks policy, introduced under the 2018 curriculum, from the ecological perspective. The study employed a case study methodology to gain in-depth insights into the perceptions and practices of two upper secondary school…

Drawing on data collected from multiple sources, this qualitative case study investigates how seven English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) academics from a university in mainland China perceive and cope with their professional vulnerability within the system of performativity. Three themes were generated from the data: (1) professional vulnerability…

Dialogic instruction, a form of instruction that engages students in meaningful and substantive classroom dialogue, has been shown to benefit students in many ways. However, few studies on dialogic instruction have focused on the role and agency of classroom teachers as they navigate and negotiate the vagaries of classroom talk, especially in…

Research in language learning indicates that process drama (PD), an educational approach where students and teachers work in and out of role to explore themes and issues, can be well suited to the Japanese higher education (HE) context. Despite the benefits highlighted in the literature, PD remains a niche approach to language teaching and…

While the emotion of pride has received increasing attention in general psychology, it has gone largely overlooked in the field of education generally, and language education specifically. This study explores the sources of pride reported by 140 English language teachers from various contexts across the globe. Data were generated through an online…

Background/purpose: Although studies on teacher research are becoming more common in English language teaching (ELT), there is still a lack of understanding regarding how university lecturers shape their research identities. Using Ecological systems theory and Self-determination theory, this study examines the construction of research identities…

Purpose: Teacher agency plays a crucial role in teachers' professionalism and makes them capable of acting powerfully in their teaching context. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of case-based instruction (CBI) on the agency development of EFL (English as a foreign language) student-teachers. Design/methodology/approach: The study…

Teacher attrition is a pervasive issue that affects educational systems globally, contributing to significant challenges in maintaining a stable and experienced teaching workforce. While existing research has explored teacher attrition in various educational contexts, there is a scarcity of studies with in-depth qualitative phases specifically…

In global trends and current curricular policy reforms in second language (L2) education, there is a great emphasis on repositioning of teachers as assessors and teachers' role as responsible agents in assessment. However, various factors affect the agency of teachers as assessors in the classroom. This study explored the ways English as a Foreign…

This qualitative study explores how foreign non-native English speaking teachers (FNNESTs) perceive themselves as English educators and how they exert agency to be better perceived as professionals. Given the close relationship between teacher identity and its implications for educational outcomes, this study is based on Norton's (2008)…

Background/purpose: Since Vietnam's accession to ASEAN in 1995, English has become crucial for regional and international engagement, driving changes in language education policies and increasing the demand for qualified teachers of English. However, little contextrelated research focuses on second-career EFL teachers (SCETs). This study explores…