A Comparative Study of Native and Non-Native Novice EFL Teachers in Relation to Their Identity and Agency in Canada

In studying how teachers work, learn, and grow, there seems to be an expansive interest in teacher identity (e.g., Abednia, 2012; Alsup, 2006; Kayi-Aydar, 2015). The concept of situated, multiple, and dynamic identity forms a common feature across studies grounded in multiple theories (MacLure, 1993). One issue in language teacher education, particularly pertinent to the study of teacher identity, is teacher agency (Vongalis-Macrow, 2007). When individuals take on agentic positions, they have the capacity or willingness to act. Agency and positionings are therefore closely linked, one influencing the other (Kayi-Aydar, 2015).
However, the identities of novice teachers, especially possible differences among native and non-native ESL teachers, have not been adequately addressed. To our knowledge, little is known regarding their identity negotiation in relation to their educational context and English language learners, and how such negotiations influence their agency, interactions, and practices.
Thus, to better understand the identity construction of novice ESL teachers, this study, drawing on positioning theory (Davies & Harré, 1990) is investigating how novice native and non-native ESL teachers position themselves and are positioned by others in their oral and written narratives, and how their positioning interacts with their agency.
This study uses Positioning Theory (Davies & Harré, 1990) as what Glaser and Strauss (1967) call ‘substantive theory’. Substantive theory (Glaser & Strauss, 1967) has been defined as a strategic link in the formulation and generation of grounded formal theory. Glaser and Strauss (1967) believed that although formal theory can be generated directly from data, it is more desirable, and usually necessary, to start the formal theory from a substantive one. Positioning Theory (Davies & Harré, 1990) is an appropriate theoretical lens for capturing two crucial aspects of identity: its fragmentation and its ambivalence and that is why it was chosen as the theoretical framework for this study. This study is a qualitative case study by design. 10 novice ESL teachers, five native and five non-native (Iranian), participated in this study. All of them were teaching at a well-established private English language institute in Montreal, Québec (BLI). They all signed the consent form which ensured the confidentiality of the shared information and agreed to work closely with the researcher for a period of 4 months. They all held a Master’s degree in TESOL/TEFL from recognized institutions and their teaching experience ranged between 6 month and three years. Participants were a mix of 10 male and female teachers aged between 25 and 30 years old. The data for this study consisted of interviews, journal entries, observations and researcher’s reflective memos.   All the transcribed interviews, journal entries, field notes and reflective memos were transferred to a qualitative analysis software called ‘Dedoose’ (version 4.12). Subsequently, data reading and analysis began. In order to answer the research questions, the data were coded in two different subsets of native ESL and non-native ESL teachers. In the open coding procedure, data were examined closely and carefully by the researchers. 258 initial codes eventually emerged from the recursive and line-by-line readings and were then compared to establish their descriptive content and to confirm that they were faithfully grounded in the data. Multiple readings of data and multiple reviews of the codes helped to group the initial codes and categorize them under the 6 headings of the interview (background, self-image, sled-efficiency, job motivation, future perspective and emotional aspect).
After the open coding, in the second phase or the axial coding, data were put back together in new ways by making connections between a category and its subcategories while elevating the level of conceptual analysis. Four major categories were identified for each group and each major category was further divided into three subcategories. Major categories for native ESL teachers were: 1) minimal professional support, 2) reaching stability in seeing self as a teacher, 3) robust agency, and 4) long-term goals. Major categories for Iranian ESL teachers were: 1) inadequate but growing confidence, 2) struggling in creating professional ties, 3) deficient agency and 4) short-term goals.
In the last phase categories were integrated to form a grounded theory. The representation of teacher agency was always the core theme around which all the other explanations and descriptions were organized in both oral and written narratives of participants. Hence, it was logical to choose teacher agency as the core category in each group as it was easier to create the story line with the core category in place.   The results of this study were consistent with those of Beijaards, Verloop, & Vermunt (2000) in which three types of knowledge that may influence teachers’ identity were identified as: subject matter, pedagogical knowledge and didactical knowledge. In the case of non-native ESL teachers it was observed that their perceived lack of knowledge influenced their confidence and consequently negatively affected their agency. Other studies have shown that professional agency is salient in the process of professional identity negotiation, change and continuity (e.g., Vähäsantanen, 2015). This is exactly in line with the results of our analysis. Agency or lack thereof was a prominent theme in the data derived across different sources and that was why it was chosen as the core category in the last phase of the analysis.
Kostogriz and Peeler (2007) have shown that adapting to a new professional community may result in the renegotiation of professional identity. This was also the case for our non-native ESL teachers. One of the main categories of identity in Iranian ESL teachers was identified as struggles in creating professional ties with native colleagues. Moussu and Liurda (2008) have stated that it is critical to recognize the importance of a speaker’s acceptance by a community as one of its members, as it is what will ultimately be determining the social recognition of the non-native speakers’ identity. Not being accepted and recognized by native teachers as an equal member of the community made the integration process into the new professional environment harder for Iranian teachers in this study.