Abstract:
The current study investigated the Iranian Teaching English as a Foreign language (TEFL) Ph.D. candidates’ (TPCs) professional identity development during the TEFL Ph.D. education program (TPEP). Applying a mixed-method design, the current study used two kinds of instruments: a four-point, Likert-scale, a researcher-made questionnaire on TPCs’ professional identity development, and the semi-structured interviews. First, the survey was mailed to 80 university instructors. Then, to yield an in-depth understanding of how TPCs develop their professional identity, TPCs with more than 10 years of intensive experience were asked to participate in the interview. Following the quantitative data analysis, the qualitative data obtained through semi-structured interviews were analyzed using descriptive qualitative content analysis techniques. The results indicated that the majority of the participants believed that TPEP caused them to gain social legitimation from their community of practice, to get socialized to their global community, and raised their social status; therefore, they believed that not only professional but also personal development took place. Furthermore, it developed their pedagogical knowledge; however, it created small changes in the likelihood of TPCs’ career advancement and led to a small increase in their job satisfaction and security. The findings of the study can have some pedagogical implications for teacher education programs in that they can be used to emphasize their strengths, eliminate their weaknesses, and incorporate ample opportunities for TPCs’ reflection on their current and aspiring professional identities and improve their performance in classes.
Machine summary:
Candidates’ Professional Identity Development in the Course of their Doctoral Education Armaghan Qaleshahzari Esmail Faghih ** Massood Yazdanimoghaddam*** English Department, Faculty of Persian Literature and Foreign Languages, Islamic Azad University, South Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran Abstract The current study investigated the Iranian Teaching English as a Foreign language (TEFL) Ph. D.
Candidates, Professional Identity Development, Community of Practice It is widely acknowledged that satisfying reforms within postgraduate education programs which, in turn, result in productive academic outcomes, can be achieved by the investigation into Ph. D.
Moreover, the study revealed that professional identity development is affected by prior learning, teaching experiences, knowledge obtained from dialogical interactions through {مراجعه شود به فایل جدول الحاقی} academic discourse practices, and real fieldwork experiences.
Moreover, understanding teachers and trying to obtain a clear sense of their professional identity development is the key to understanding the process of learning and {مراجعه شود به فایل جدول الحاقی} teaching (Varghese, Morgan, Johnston & Johnson, 2005).
Candidates Regarding Professional Identity Development During their Education {مراجعه شود به فایل جدول الحاقی} Self-perception as a researcher Professional development Consolidating and refreshing teaching methods and approaches Expanding the Ph. D.
In the literature on teacher candidates’ identity, reflection is widely considered as a critical process in the development of teacher professional identity (Korthagen, 2004; Sutherland, Howard & Markauskaite, 2010) and a means by which teacher candidates build their own learning through interaction among their prior knowledge, beliefs, and experiences (Lin, Hmelo, Kinzer & Secules, 1999).