Teacher identity formation through classroom practices in the post-method era: A systematic review

Figures & data

Figure 1. PRISMA flow chart

Table 1. Studies that focus on teacher identity formation

No.	Study	Focus and research methods	Participants
1	Brutt-Griffler and Samimy (1999)	Investigating NS/NNS discourses in TESOL programs and identity formation through narrative of NNESTs in the context of critical praxis	Participant’s teacher candidates in TESOL program in a graduate seminar for NNESTs
2	Pavlenko (2003)	Imagined linguistic and professional membership and identities in MATESOL through discursive analysis of teachers’ autobiographies.	Pre and in-service ESL/EFL teachers in two TESOL cohorts (N = 44)
3	Morgan (2004)	Study transformative potential of teacher identity in a bilingual context through researcher’s personal narrative	Researcher (N = 1)
4	Kanno and Stuart (2011)	Exploring how novice second language teachers learn to teach and shape a teacher identity through practice.	Teacher candidates (TAs) in MA TESOL program in U.S
5	Park (2012)	Studying teacher identity formation to find out how teachers embrace nonnative speaker identity through electronic autobiographical, narratives, electronic journal, entries, and individual interviews.	Female student teachers in MATESOL (N = 5)
6	Maduranga (2013)	Problematizing Native/nonnative English speaker binary and dichotomy by interview and survey questionnaire evaluating six sample native speakers’ speeches based on particular criteria	Ohio University English native speaker undergraduates (N = 173)
7	Golombek and Klager (2015)	Identifying development of English teacher facing frustration to search how his identity was situated in his teaching practices and shaped by socio-historical discourses.	Novice grammar teacher (N = 1)
8	Delgado (2016)	Exploring student teacher autonomy and professional identity in mentorship through analyzing and comparing reflective journals on participants’ mentors’ classroom practices	Two groups of participants were recruited from TESOL practicum courses in a Northern Mexican University in 2015 (N = 11) (N = 13)
9	Supasiraprapa and Decosta (2016)	Studying the identity construction by analyzing teaching philosophy statements applying Hyland (2005) framework	EFL/ESL student teachers in MA TESOL program (N = 2)
10	Warner (2016)	Exploring English teacher candidates’ beliefs concerning excellent language education’s elements, goals, and degree of the change after completion of the program	English pre-service teachers (N = 2)
11	Gray (2017)	Study how foreign English teachers’ learning process helped them to reach to their self-formation and find their position in Korean context using interview and online correspondence.	Foreign English native speakers learning Korean (N = 6)
12	Kim (2017)	Investigating identity formation through negotiation and positioning self in Korean context using individual interviews, group conversations, and artifacts	Korean nonnative English speaker teacher (N = 1)
13	Werbińska (2017)	Investigating how English language teachers negotiate their professional identity in a job promotion examination in Poland	In-service English teacher examinees (N = 15)
14	Wolff and De Costa (2017)	Exploring to understand emotional demands of teacher candidates through combination of interviews, classroom observations, journals, and reports	Focal teacher candidate in MATESOL program (N = 1)
15	Higgins and Ponte (2017)	Exploring how elementary school teachers use their identities as multilingual teachers to enhance their concern about leaners’ various linguistic repertoires within classroom practices through interviews, classroom observation, assignments, online posts	Focal English language teacher group in PD program (N = 7)
16	Li (2020)	Studying the identity formation in two growing communities in China through in-depth interview, observation, blog’s narrative	Two private English language tutors from China (in comported owned and self-owned businesses)
17	Kaya and Dikilitaş (2019)	Exploring a language teacher’s identity development through semistructured interviews, observations, narratives, and/or reflective writing	A novice English language teacher in Turkey (N = 1)
18	Guihang and Miao (2019)	Proposing three identities of Business English teachers based on needs analysis and learning-centered approach of ESP theory, review of previous research and observation of Business English classroom	The business teacher participant number is not mentioned in the paper.
19	Peker et al. (2020)	Investigating the lived experiences of Foreign Language Teaching Assistants (FLTA) and constructs that shape their language teacher identity through unstructured observation and semistructured interview	Four foreign language teaching assistants who lived and taught in the United States (N = 4)
20	Lawrence (2020)	Studying the discursive identity construction of two English teachers through Linguistic Ethnographic framework using interviews and observation and Membership Categorization Analysis approach	One ‘non-native’ English speaker, and one ‘native’ English speaker (N = 2)

Table 2. Studies that focus on teacher identity through post-method pedagogy

No	Study	Focus and Research Methods	Participants
21	Duff and Uchida (1997)	The intricate correlations between teachers’ sociocultural identities and their classroom practices and related cultural transitions to the classrooms using observation, field notes, review, and interviews to collect data	EFL teachers in a language school called KCCI Language Center in Minato city in Japan
22	Bartolomé (2004)	Focusing on critical pedagogy in teacher education and necessity of political and ideological clarities of teachers in regard to less privileged students using narrative inquiry (interviews)	Teachers in one of south California high school (N = 4)
23	Ajayi (2008)	Exploring ESL teachers’ sensitivity toward their English language learners’ socio-cultural realities and limitations of applying such facts in their classroom practices through questionnaire survey and interview	Middle and high school teachers in Los Angeles (N = 73)
24	Menard-Warwick (2008)	Exploring cultural and intercultural identities transnational English teachers and their teaching practices through classroom observation	Transnational English teachers (N = 2)
25	Talmy (2010)	Investigating how racism has become a resource in a Hawaii public high school using classroom observation and interview	High school teachers (N = 10) and students (N = 37)
26	Zacharias (2010)	Investigating formation of 12 Asian teacher candidates’ identities and the influence of critical pedagogy negotiation in TESOL master programs in the United States using interviews, focus group, and narrative documents and following poststructuralist view of identities	English teacher candidates (N = 12)
27	Nagatomo (2011)	Studying identity related classroom practices of Japanese university English teachers who mostly majored in literature or linguistic using classroom observation and interview	University lecturer B.A and M.A in literature in Japan, but PhD. in U.S at the same field (N = 1)
28	Nishino (2012)	Investigating to some extent Japanese high school teachers’ perceptions, classroom practices are related to communicative language teaching (CLT) and its socio-cultural issues through questionnaire and interviews	Teachers in high schools filled out survey (N = 188) and some were interviewed (N = 4)
29	Saengboon (2013)	Exploring understanding of postmethod pedagogy of Thai EFL university lecturers and investigating to what extent such understanding reflect on their teaching practices using interview	EFL university lecturers (N = 6)
No	Study	Focus and Research Methods	Participants
30	Barnawi and Phan (2015)	Studying teachers in their local contexts to see influence Western-based TESOL on their teaching practices and knowledge of postpedagogy using interviews and classroom observation	Saudi TESO graduated English teachers (N = 2)
31	Chen (2014)	Studying effect of post-method pedagogy on English language teachers’ classroom practices and their students’ attitudes using interview, observation, and questionnaire	EL teachers teaching 8 grade classes in a junior middle school in China (from well-experienced to novice) (N = 3) and their students (N = 236)
32	Fat’hi et al. (2015).	Exploring the extent of Iranian EFL teachers express willingness and conformity to post-method’s parameters and amount of their teaching reflection using questionnaire	English language teachers with ethnographic variations and professional experiences
33	Gu and Benson (2015)	Exploring how English teacher identities are discursively formed in regard to social context and teacher education programs using interview	2 Mainland Chinese and 7 Hong Kong pre-service teachers (N = 9)
34	Motlhaka (2015)	Exploring the use of post-method pedagogy for professional development of ESL university lecturers using questionnaire and interview	Lecturers at one of South African universities with teaching experiences varied from 5 to 20 years (N = 3 males and 3 females)
35	Jones (2016)	Investigating whether the participants can connect theory to practice and ways they improve teaching values using two case study examples and a reflective survey	A class of student-teachers (N = 19)
36	Rajabieslami (2016)	Exploring teachers’ perception of the post-method feasibility using interview	Teacher educators, two native and one non-native English speakers (N = 3)
37	Quan et al. (2019)	Investigating the ways the teachers encourage social justice and providing teacher identity options beyond hegemonic and traditional ones in teacher education programs using a multiple case studies, syllabi, student work, observations, informal interviews, program documents, and personal reflections	Teacher educators (N = 3)

Figure 2. The thematic structure of the review

Brutt-Griffler, J., & Samimy, K. (1999). Revisiting the colonial in the postcolonial: Critical praxis for nonnative-English-speaking teachers in a TESOL program. TESOL Quarterly, 33(3), 413–431. https://doi.org/10.2307/3587672

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Pavlenko, A. (2003). “I never knew I was bilingual”: Reimagining teacher identities in TESOL. Journal of Language Identity & Education, 2(4), 251–268. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327701JLIE0204_2

 Google Scholar

Morgan, B. (2004). Teacher identity as pedagogy: Towards a field-internal conceptualization in bilingual and second language education. Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 7(2–3), 172–188. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050408667807

 Google Scholar

Kanno, Y., & Stuart, C. (2011). Learning to become a second language teacher: Identities-in-practice. The Modern Language Journal, 95(2), 236–252. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.2011.01178.x

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Park, G. (2012). “I am never afraid of being recognized as an NNES”: One teacher’s journey in claiming and embracing her nonnative-speaker identity. TESOL Quarterly, 46(1), 127–151. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.4

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Maduranga, N. K. (2013). Rethinking the ‘native speaker’/’nonnative speaker’ dichotomy. Sri Lanka Journal of the Humanities, 39(1–2), 37–50. http://dlib.pdn.ac.lk/handle/1/4534

 Google Scholar

Golombek, P., & Klager, P. (2015). Play and imagination in developing language teacher identity-in-activity. Ilha Do Desterro A Journal of English Language, Literatures in English and Cultural Studies, 68(1), 17–32. https://doi.org/10.5007/2175-8026.2015v68n1p17

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Delgado, L. D. F. (2016). Exploration of learner teacher autonomy and professional identity through mentoring: Expectations and perceptions of ESOL learner teachers. The Global Journal of English Studies, 2, (2). https://www.academia.edu/32373098/Exploration_of_Learner_Teacher_Autonomy_and_Professional_identity_through_Mentoring_Expectations_and_Perceptions_of_ESOL_Learner_Teachers

 Google Scholar

Supasiraprapa, S., & Decosta, P. I. (2016). Metadiscourse and identity construction in teaching philosophy statements: A critical case study of two MATESOL students. TESOL Quarterly, 51(4), 868–896. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.360.

 Google Scholar

Warner, C. K. (2016). Constructions of excellent teaching: Identity tensions in preservice English teachers. National Teacher Education Journal, 9(1), 5–15. https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/003a8836-40db-4b0c-b44f-4211ffada1e1/downloads/1ckfvh3q9_717333.pdf

 Google Scholar

Gray, S. (2017). Always the other: Foreign teachers of English in Korea, and their experiences as speakers of KSL. The Asian EFL Journal Quarterly, 19(3), 1–30. https://www.asian-efl-journal.com/main-editions-new/volume-19-issue-3-september-2017-quarterly-journal/

 Google Scholar

Kim, H. K. (2017). Demystifying native speaker ideology: The critical role of critical practice in language teacher education. The Journal of Asia TEFL, 14(1), 81–97. http://dx.doi.org/10.18823/asiatefl.2017.14.1.6.81

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Werbińska, D. (2017). A teacher-in-context: Negotiating professional identity in a job promotion examination. Journal of Applied Language Studies, 11(2), 103–123. https://doi.org/10.17011/apples/urn.201708233541

 Google Scholar

Wolff, D., & De Costa, P. I. (2017). Expanding the language teacher identity landscape: An investigation of the emotions and strategies of a NNEST. The Modern Language Journal, 101(S1), 76–90. https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12370

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Higgins, C., & Ponte, E. (2017). Legitimating multilingual teacher identities in the mainstream classroom. The Modern Language Journal, 101(S1), 15–28. https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12372

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Li, W. (2020). Unpacking the complexities of teacher identity: Narratives of two Chinese teachers of English in China. Language Teaching Research, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168820910955

 Google Scholar

Kaya, M. H., & Dikilitaş, K. (2019). Constructing, reconstructing and developing teacher identity in supportive contexts. The Asian EFL Journal January, 1(21), 58–83. https://www.asian-efl-journal.com/main-editions-new/2019-main-journal/volume-21-issue-1-2019/

 Google Scholar

Guihang, G., & Miao, Z. (2019). Identity construction of Chinese business English teachers from the perspective of ESP theory. International Education Studies, 12(7), 20–27. https://doi.org/10.5539/ies.v12n7p20

 Google Scholar

Peker, H., Torlak, M., Toprak-Çelen, E., Eren, G., & Günsan, M. (2020). Language teacher identity construction of foreign language teaching assistants. International Online Journal of Education and Teaching (IOJET), 7(1), 229–246. https://iojet.org/index.php/IOJET/article/view/733

 Google Scholar

Lawrence, L. (2020). The discursive construction of “native” and “non-native” speaker English teacher identities in Japan: A linguistic ethnographic investigation. International Journal of Society, Culture & Language, 8(1), 111–125. http://www.ijscl.net/article_38734.html

 Google Scholar

Duff, P. A., & Uchida, Y. (1997). The negotiation of teachers’ sociocultural identities and practices in postsecondary EFL classrooms. TESOL Quarterly, 31(3), 451–486. https://doi.org/10.2307/3587834

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Bartolomé, L. I. (2004). Critical pedagogy and teacher education: Radicalizing prospective teachers. Teacher Education Quarterly, 31(1), 97–122. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ795237

 Google Scholar

Ajayi, L. (2008). ESL theory-practice dynamics: The difficulty of integrating sociocultural perspectives into pedagogical practices. Foreign Language Annals, 41(4), 639–19. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1944-9720.2008.tb03322.x

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Menard-Warwick, J. (2008). The cultural and intercultural identities of transnational English teachers: Two case studies from the Americas. TESOL Quarterly, 42(4), 617–640. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1545-7249.2008.tb00151.x

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Talmy, S. (2010). Becoming “local” in ESL: Racism as resource in a Hawaii public high school. Journal of Language, Identity & Education, 9(1), 36–57. https://doi.org/10.1080/15348450903476840

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Zacharias, N. T. (2010). The teacher identity construction of 12 Asian ES teachers in TESOL graduate programs. The Journal of Asia EFL, 7(2), 177–197

 Google Scholar

Nagatomo, D. (2011). Japanese teacher of English in Japanese higher education. The Language Teacher, 35(6), 29–34. https://doi.org/10.37546/JALTTLT35.6-5

 Google Scholar

Nishino, T. (2012). Modeling teacher beliefs and practices in context: A multimethods approach. The Modern Language Journal, 96(3), 380–399. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.2012.01364.x

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Saengboon, S. (2013). Thai English teachers’ understanding of “postmethod pedagogy”: Case studies of university lecturers. English Language Teaching, 6(12), 238–250. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v6n12p156

 Google Scholar

Barnawi, O. Z., & Le Ha, P.(2015). From western TESOL classrooms to home practice: A case study with two ‘privileged’ Saudi teachers. Critical Studies in Education, 6 6 56(2), 259–276.https://doi.org/10.1080/17508487.2014

 Google Scholar

Chen, M. (2014). Postmethod pedagogy and its influence on EFL teaching strategies. English Language Teaching, 7(5), 17–25. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v7n5p17

 Google Scholar

Fat’hi, J., Ghaslani, R., & Parsa, K. (2015). The Relationship between post-method pedagogy and teacher reflection: A case of Iranian EFL teachers. Journal of Applied Linguistics and Language Research, 2(4), 305–321. http://jallr.com/~jallrir/index.php/JALLR/article/view/82

 Google Scholar

Gu, M., & Benson, P. (2015). The formation of English teacher identities: A cross-cultural investigation. Language Teaching Research, 19(2), 187–206. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168814541725

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Motlhaka, H. A. (2015). Exploring postmethod pedagogy in teaching English as second language in south African higher education. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 6(1), 517-524. Doi:10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n1p51

 Google Scholar

Jones, S. A. (2016). Pedagogy for teacher education: Making theory, practice and context connections for English language teaching. AsTEN Journal of Teacher Education, 1(2), 72–89. http://po.pnuresearchportal.org/ejournal/index.php/asten/article/view/295

 Google Scholar

Rajabieslami, N. (2016). Teachers’ perceptions of the post-method feasibility. Arab World English Journal, 7(3), 238–250. https://doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol7no3.17

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Quan, T., Bracho, C. A., Wilkerson, M., & Clark, M. (2019). Empowerment and transformation: Integrating teacher identity, activism, and criticality across three teacher education programs. Review of Education, Pedagogy, and Cultural Studies, 41(4–5), 218–251. https://doi.org/10.1080/10714413.2019.1684162

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar