An identity-agency perspective on overseas academic development of Thai university English teachers

ABSTRACT

For staff of non-Anglophone universities, formal academic development (AD) is frequently equated with learning experiences in Anglophone settings to develop policy-assigned professional identities. Taking dialogic conceptions of professional identity and a temporal model of identity-agency as theoretical lenses, we examine the overseas AD experiences of a group of Thai academics to investigate their negotiations of these assigned identities. Positioning of academics as ‘mechanical deliverers’ failed to recognise their identity choices in relation to the agency of others and contextual circumstances. We discuss the implications of this for institutional policy and practice for overseas AD that support and acknowledge academics’ identity-agency.

KEYWORDS:

• Academic development
• professional learning
• identity-agency
• overseas academic development

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Indika Liyanage

Indika Liyanage is a Professor at Beijing Normal University – Hong Kong Baptist University United International College (UIC), Zhuhai, China. He is also an honorary member of the professoriate at Deakin University and University of Southern Queensland, Australia, and Sichuan Normal University, China.

Phatchara Phantharakphong

Phatchara Phantharakphong is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Education, Khon Kaen University, Thailand. Her research interests include teaching of English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) and teacher professional learning and development.