Identity Crisis and Its Impact on Teacher's Professional Learning

A Seminar Paper

Submitted to

Department of English Education

Tribhuvan University

Kirtipur, Kathamandu

In the Partial Fulfillment for the course of

ELT Seminar and Report Writing (Eng. Ed.548)

By

Rabindra Chaudhary

Dilip Roka

Nal Raj Dhakal

Fourth Semester

Section: B

Roll. No.: 7328, 7328, 7328

 Abstract
This paper presents a qualitative study which aimed to explore the crisis in the identity of
English language teachers then to examine the impact of those crises in professional learning
from the account of three Secondary Level English teachers, particularly in the context of
Kirtipur, Kathmandu. The design of the study is narrative inquiry. The purposive sampling
technique is used for the selection of the sample. The data were collected through
questionnaires, the English teacher were involved to write their reflective account of their
Professional works and lives. Data are analyzed using contents reviewing the stories, identifying
the main contents, ordering them, restoring the individual's story and coding, decoding then
categorizing into themes. The finding shows that English language teachers felt different crisis
such as mismatch between idealistic expections and classroom reality, difficult to assimlate with
different culture of students, no more support of administration and their colleagues to establish
creative teaching strategies, negative psychological reaction of students towards them. These
kind of crisis was effect in thier professsional learning. They spent most of their teaching carrer
in strict school's rules, were limited within using the textbook to much in their teaching, did not
get go beyond to search new innovations, did not have enough time to engage in educational
research, could not get attend on seminars, workshops, conferences to up to date new
pedagogical knowledge and skills of English language teaching.The overall report result
indicates that there are complex web in the crisis of English teachers' identity and its impact is
not limited only on their own profession learning but also in the aspect of student's learning,
community and economy.

Keywords: Identity crisis, Impact, Professional learning, English Language Teacher

Introduction
By Erickson in 1960s was introduced the phrase identity crisis, the term identity has
been used by scholars and researchers in different disciplines. As defined in Cambridge
Dictionary of psychology identity is a " catchall- phrase used throughout the social sciences to
refer to the way individuals understand themselves and are recognized by others" ( Matsumoto,
2009, p. 244 as cited by Rahimian;2014). Identity is not fixed, stable, unitary,and internally
coherent phenomenon but is multiple, shifting, and in conflict (Gregen,1991; Norton Peirce,
1995; Sarup, 1996; weedon, 1987); by the same token it is transformational and transformative.

The report of study is about the impact of the identity crisis on English language teachers'
professional learning. The purpose of this study is to explore the crisis in the identities as
experienced by English teachers in their lives and works then to examine its positive or negative
impact on their professional learning. The significance of this study is that by knowing the
English language teachers condition of career at government schools. The government and
policy maker probably would be conscious to bring new provisions which could address their
problems and challenges and stakeholders will have the opportunity to know and understand the
real issues of English language teachers. The English teachers have been serving at government
school with low facilities facing many challenges. Neither they earn money nor name and fame
in their profession in comparison to other profession such as doctor and engineer. Only
optimistic teachers could do changes in educational system not possible by others. Wenger
(1998) people should be full membership of community to get their real identity. As his
definition, we realize that language teachers are bias to raise their voice for the betterment of the
schooling and their community. The society shows respect for those people who can fund and
donate for development of school and community. Although language teachers have not earn
sufficient money even to rare their parents. It means they can not afford expense things to buy
even to fulfill their children's basic needs. This kind of identity we see of English teachers in
Neplease context. They have trauma , stress, confusion and dilemma in their mind and its impact
is shown in their professional learning and student learning, Sanetti (2019).

The report has three parts such as preliminary, main body and references part. The
preliminary part contains title, abstract, keywords, introduction and objectives of the study. The
main body discussed, literature review, methodology, objectives of the study, and finding and
discussion with conclusion. The third part of report presents references and appendix.

Literature review
Teachers are worked as a social agent to change the society for the progressive
development of nation. Especially English teachers time demands high number from the view of
quality both private and governmental schooling. English language spreading through the world
and used as a lingua franca has become an international language. There is an issue why English
teachers are backward in the eyes of society and nation. The problem of language teacher has
higher degree are in bad situation which is the crisis of their identity. In this context, many
researchers have put their attention towards this subject matter to study. We reviewed thoroughly
available research articles related to the area of identity crisis of English teachers.

Mnara C. (2012) in her research 'an English language educators' professional learning as a
site of identity struggle'. The objective of this research was ' to explore how English language
teacher educators conduct their professional identity through language and narratives' and ' to
identify how they conceptualize their professional as English language teacher educators. For
this narrative research design was selected as a method of study. Data were collected through
primary sources of data such Teachers' narrative (interview) and their reflective writings of four
Indenossian teacher educators'. The finding of the study reveals that through descriptive and
interpretative procedures. The two thesis statement was developed such as early struggle as an
English language learner. Teacher where she explores teachers' identity was restricted to teacher
as transmitters of prescribed norms; they were affected by the ideologies of instructional
practices, curriculum textbook, anglophone culture, literary teaching and the English policy only
to use. The next thesis statement was the ' pre learning professional identity where she finds that
early days were not formal mentoring program for beginning teacher educators. They had not the
opportunity to participate in conferences rather than ritualized. Participant's further study
influenced their current beliefs and their perspective on teaching and professional learning. We
conceptualize from this study that language teachers are feeling their lives as contradiction,
paradoxes, tensions, dilemmas, etc. Bhaktnin(1986) sees struggle as a necessary process in
arriving to new meaning. The struggles are makes to pull the journey of language teacher the
new way of thinking, knowing, practicing and speaking raising their voices. We also interested
to research on this area to raise unheard voices of language teachers.

Wenger (1998) theory brought important contribution for making sense of process of
identity construction of the participants which reflects the realization of their identity as being a
language teacher previous days. But now their identity is critical situation. The author proposes a
social theory of learning where learning is understood as social participation. In these sense we
research that how does language teacher engage with the developing practice of society or not
present time. Ghee (2000) explains that identity can be an imposition depending on how an
English language teacher interacts with the students, institution, as well as community from that
he/she gets recognize as a certain types of person and can develop several identities accordingly.

Postmodern views that identity is a no stable, not fixed could change over time. A persons'
identity is different according to his/her time or situation and according to his/her responsibilities
and behavior of other people. In respect of this, it is an issue to complete language teachers'
duties towards educational field as well as in the community. Identity is not such thing other
people evaluate his/her life style but identity to be self strong and satisfaction in his/her each
moment.

The profile of English language teacher seems on shadows who are not satisfied on their
identity. The cause of identity crisis of teaching profession might be their belief, attitude to be a
good teacher standard of enthusiasm to do different and here one could affect their professional
learning. The community students observe English language teacher differently. However
English teacher need to realization their standard level of identity. So that we want to study how
does English language teachers' identity crisis impact on their professional learning.

Objectives of the Study

1. To explore the crisis in the identity of English language teachers

2. To examine the impact of these crisis in professional learning

Methodology
 we reviewed many research articles and documents related to our research area i.e
identity crisis of English language teachers. We accumulated the ideas from the literature review
that to see the research gap of previous research and method of study as well as how to relate
the present and past research finding relating to our research. The related journals and research
articles were studied through focused reading techniques.

This qualitative study is based on narrative inquiry as a research design. (see

Beatie,2000; Doecke, Brown,& Loughran, 2000; Doecke,2004; Nuttal& Doecke,2008;
Preez,2008 as cited in Manara,2016) showed how teachers use narratives as a means to explore
the complexities and multifaceted elements in their lives. In these studies, teacher reflected on
their experiences and involved in active critical thinking about their professional practice,
knowledge, and professional standards through answering provided questionnaires. We
interested to know about how English teachers' identity goes into crisis and what impacts of it
especially in their professional learning. As our intention to explore crisis in the identity as
experienced by language teachers, so that this study is dedicated to explore the crisis in the
identity and its impact whether positive and negative with the three English language teachers.
The data of the study were collected through the narrative reflective writings they filled their
experiences of teaching on given questionnaires; the required data was collected within three
weeks. . Data are analyzed using contents reviewing the stories, identifying the main contents,
ordering them, restoring the individual's story and coding, decoding then categorizing into
themes.

The three participants were from multilingual speakers, place of Kirtipur, Kathmandu
district of Nepal. The teachers have been teaching with more than 10 years experiences. An
English teacher, the school of Aadinath Higher Secondary School, Kirtipur has been teaching for
more than 24 years, her M.Ed degree in majoring English received in 2068 from the Tribhuvan
University of Kathmandu. Another teacher had obtained her M.Ed. from the same university i.e
Tribhuvan university , Kathmandu. She has been teaching for more than 12 years at Baishnabi
Secondary School, Kirtipur. The next teacher has been teaching for more than 10 years at
Mangal Higher Secondary School, Kirtipur Kathmandu.

Finding and Discussion

We find many challenges, problems or crisis in the three teachers' professional career from
the early period to till now. They experienced these crises from beginning phase to present
teaching and learning and also have practiced more experiences. Though its impact seems on
their professional learning too.

We explore from our study that identity crisis is because of their traditional way of
teaching pedagogy. Teacher: 1 writes as; "I attend nine to ten teachers training sessions but I
could not implement in the real language classroom. The reason is that lack of administrative
support, not enough supplementary and supportive materials as well as teachers are not
cooperative to work together and due to being as isolation."

Teacher : 2 views as; "In the beginning phase I did not get authentic source of study
materials to read and learn meaning and was not access of internet like today. I this present time
also limited within the inside the school territory could not go beyond of this. I could not explore
new things and ideas."

The problem is individualism which makes teachers isolation and more ambitious to get
more whatever they wish. Their unnecessary wish is the cause of trauma and pain. They have not
intention to work cooperatively together. People recognize them according to their behavior. The
teaching and planning between language teachers, administration and curriculum are not same.
That is why each planning is not implemented fully and effectively.

The next problem of language teachers is that cultural assimilation. In this context a
teacher: 3 views as; "First years, I spend much time with struggle and tensions. Other teachers
were from Newari community and use to communicate in their own language... Majority of
students were also from same society. I felt very isolated and get depress because I could not
speak… and could not conduct multilingual classroom …. I still got dilemmas and facing
problems to talk with learner in Newari language. I am not satisfy with my profession
because…".

Identity is not what say by other to you but to be self satisfaction also is the concept of it
(Postmodernism). English teacher are fluent in English language but are weak to other language
respective with the particular society. There is not motivational environment at school and home.
Most of time administration used to comment negatively. As we know that each person needs
some inspiration and motivational factor to work effectively. But neither family and friends nor
the school encourage language teacher in their lives and profession.

The value of society has been changing as how time changeable. That’s why English
language teachers' profession is not given much valued by the society like other profession.
Language teachers have been working with low salary in comparison to other. Therefore
language teachers suffer from the emotional and psychological impacts. By which they are not
enthusiastic to do labor hard to improve their profession. Their impact also goes to touch
students learning strategies.

Teacher: 3 writes his experiences as; "Language learners can communicate in English
language. Although the language brought culture of it simultaneously. Students do not live in a
discipline manner and do not know how to behave respectfully with younger and elders. Good
manner and morality is less with them.
 Hence students learning reflect what language teacher teaches to them. People judge and
evaluate them and recognize according to learners each behavior at outer surrounding. This issue
forwards outer countries too that what kind of students and manpower has been producing by the
Nepalese English language schools and teachers. Our identity is such.

When we examine the impact of identity crisis of language teachers. We analyze that
their stress, trauma, troublesome, over ambition and agony influenced or impacts negatively and
might be positive. Its effect modifies teachers' everyday behavior and activities at everywhere
with everyone. Next to students gets impact on their physical and psychological reaction in their
learning activities. Teachers' reaction, motivation, and enthusiasm while teaching effects on their
behavior( performance). Such kind of mismanaging behavior affects delivering instruction to the
students. It creates another kind of identity of their and students recognize teachers according to
what and how they instruct.

Definitely, teachers' identity crisis has impact on students' physiological reaction with
teachers' trauma. Sanetti (2019) in her discussion, the crisis of teachers' identity creates stabilize
a type of stress on them which becomes a great problem which effect won not limited to the
teachers' professional learning but also impacts on students' learning.

Consequently, with low level of identity, language teacher could not handle their teaching
strategies very well if they got pessimist of their career. In such case first they are weak in
professional learning including different training session, research and explore new pedagogical
skills. Along with this, there seems a huge space between learner and students relation. Only a
doctor can diagnose a disease of a patient living together and asking and sharing the problems
then treat accordingly. Likewise a teacher should be closer in relation with the learner. If a
teacher does not attempt and has no excited to learn students' mother tongue even having 10 to
12 year experience of teaching. This is not experiences it is only a time consuming activity.
Because of multilingual background of students, a language teacher could not able to guide the
way where they want to take to the students.

The positive impact is this, teacher could make change the existing identity if they are
conscious about time is changeable. Language teacher could raise from where they fall down.
They could know the failure is one of the sign of learning. Teacher: 1 writes as; "Teaching
English was supposed to very hard profession in the beginning phase. Later it became easier
because the concept of people towards it has been rapidly changing. The value of English
language teacher is evaluating by the people themselves because of importance of English
language.

Three language teachers have been spending with much struggle in early days of teaching
career because society do not give focus and value to English language and teachers too.
However language teachers are satisfy with their profession it is found because of the greater
value of English language than other shows the recognition of language teachers. They are doing
better than past time in their profession such as attending conferences, seminars and involving
for research work, etc. and updating exploring and implementing new pedagogical strategies in
the language classroom as classroom are in fact very complex places in which sympliistic cause-
effect models of teaching methodology are inadequite (Allwright, 1988; Nunan, 1988). Language
teacher was alone past time but in current situation are better satisfied for example teacher: 3 is
assimilating the culture of Newari community and learnt language of them. So she could conduct
multilingual instruction in the classroom and she could share children's learning related problems
to their parents frankly. The recognition of her at school and society has changed. She says ' I
have develope personal teaching style but at past days the way of teaching was influenced by one
or more teachers' from their own period as a student'. Co-operation with school administration is
also important for my work as a teacher now.

Conclusion
Three teachers are familiar and have been fighting many problems in their English
professional lives such as feeling of depress, isolation, mismatch between idealistic expectations
and classroom reality and lack of support and guidance. They were running through traditional
way of teaching strategies, was problem how to assimilate with the different cultural community
(cultural awareness as Korger (2000), administration and how to conduct multilingual teaching
strategies, the challenge to know the another new different language, teachers recognition was
based on the value and importance of English language and administration, parents and
community then begin to provide support, feedback and motivation to do better forwards in
English language teaching.

We need to pay more attention to this issue of identity crisis of English language teacher
and its impact on several factors. We should more worried about this issue to address to do less
well of teachers and student i.e. socially, physically, emotionally and psychologically. How can
be many teachers can be that kind of teachers? There is an issue to be a favorite teacher. The way
of address is that through the mentoring program, workplace awareness program for teacher to
support. Likewise, social emotional learning program sanetti (2019) teaching students about
social emotional competency. We provide teachers to be productive and enthusiastic in their
workplace. So we all must address English teachers' identity crisis through conducting several
researches on this area. We really probably get rid of many issues in teaching profession,
consequently teachers, students, parents and community becomes unite together at one. We
entire generation of English teachers have to be fine and be a favorite teacher and have aim to
make a good identity on English language teaching profession.
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