Maintaining self while adapting: Chinese foreign language teachers’ identity development in an intercultural context

Abstract

To develop a comprehensive understanding of Chinese foreign language (CFL) teachers’ identity development in intercultural contexts, the current dissertation progresses systematically across four studies, each addressing a specific aspect of the phenomenon and collectively building a multidimensional picture of CFL teacher identity development.The four studies included in this dissertation have explored international teachers’ teacher identity development in intercultural settings, and what this means more generally for global education. The findings contribute to the growing body of research on teacher identity by highlighting the unique challenges and opportunities brought about by intercultural contexts. The findings indicate the importance of intercultural competence and adaptability in teachers’ development as professionals. Furthermore, international teachers are required to have flexible and culturally sensitive teaching strategies in order to meet the challenges of intercultural teaching. In addition, teacher identity development should be viewed not just as an individual journey but as a process shaped by the school environment and broader education policies. As education systems all over the world are becoming more interconnected and diverse, educational policies and professional development practices could promote inclusive pedagogy and equitable educational environments to support teachers’ teacher identity development. Therefore, in conclusion, this dissertation calls for a global education system that not only embraces cultural diversity, but also makes best use of it to improve international teaching and learning. Through maintaining self while adapting, international teachers can develop as well-rounded professionals for today’s global education contexts.