Professional Identity Construction Of ESP Teachers:an Activity Theory Perspective

The ongoing curriculum reform in Chinese universities has pointed out the need for ESP as a major and compound-major talents training.In response to the educational changes,ESP teachers need to acquire cross-disciplinary knowledge,in particular,to transform their mentality and（re）build their identities.The existing literature has revealed the multiple and dynamic nature of teacher identity,but how ESP teachers construct their identities within situated contexts receives little attention.Focusing on three legal English teachers in a Chinese university,the current study adopts a qualitative multiple-case study design to investigate their identity construction process and outcomes.Under the guidance of activity theory,this study collected data from multiple sources,including semi-structured interviews,classroom observations and artifacts.With respect to data analysis,the author used bottom-up thematic analysis to explore the result of teachers’ identity construction.Meanwhile,a coding scheme enlightened by activity theory was built in order to investigate how the inner components work interactively to influence ESP teacher identity.Three major findings emerged from data analysis.First,the ESP teachers constructed their sub-identities at the instructional,scientific and emotional levels.Their classroom practices serve as the primary space for enacting professional identities and anchoring instructional values.Second,from the synchronic perspective,the ESP teachers,as the agentic subject within the situated system,employs both material and psychological tools and artifacts to transform the object into expected outcomes.Importantly,the supportive institutional environment and the multi-layered communities worked synergistically to facilitate their goal-oriented identity development.Third,diachronically,the emergence and resolution of different levels of contradictions contribute to teachers’ expansion of activity system and identity transformation.As the activity unfolds dynamically,the continuous inner movements may foster ESP teachers’ constant negotiation,adjustment and renovation of their sub-identities.The study adds to the existing knowledge by moving beyond the individuals and adopting a situated perspective to examine teachers’ professional identities.Compared with previous studies,the current research reveals a more complex picture of ESP teachers’professional self-positionings in relation to their interpersonal relationships and emotions.In addition,the study provides practical suggestions for ESP teachers to build their professional identities.Teachers can use various mediational tools to modify pedagogical designs and explore teaching innovations,and resort to support from a broader community through interdisciplinary and cross-boundary collaboration,leading to a robust professional identity.Future research can integrate more perspectives,such as incorporating voices from diverse communities and concentrating on the mechanism of professional identity transformation across different backgrounds and careers,in order to generate more appropriate suggestions for ESP teacher development.