Understanding How an English Lecturer Constructs Her Professional Identity

Abstract

Professional identity construction for English lecturers in language education is a complex and ongoing process crucial in educational settings. This journey involves continual reflection and refinement influenced by personal beliefs, teaching philosophy, and lived experiences (Beijaard, Verloop, & Vermunt, 2000). Despite existing study on professional identity among educators, there remains a notable gap in understanding the specific context of English lecturers, particularly within narrative inquiry, by delving into their perceptions and strategies for negotiating professional roles and overcoming challenges. Employing narrative inquiry as the methodological approach, this study provides a deep reflection on the stories of English lecturer. Through in-depth interviews with a single participant, the study seeks to unravel the processes through which individuals make meaning of their experiences, offering valuable insights into language teaching contexts. Further, the data for this study was analyzed by using the five key methodologies in interview data transcription by Widodo (2014). This study reveals that an English lecturer constructs and perceives her professional identity and navigates the challenges through personal values, experience, education, and social interaction. The participant exemplifies how her great personal values and good social interaction influence her decision in studying abroad and make her having a valuable experience. Furthermore, it gives the participant with job satisfaction, commitment to the profession and continued career growth, which in line with professional identity theory by Norton (2006). Additionally, the participant overcomes the challenges by balancing various responsibilities, from administrative tasks to adapting teaching methods to meet the needs of diverse students.