Structural and Qualitative Aspects of Identities among English Instructors in Chinese Universities
Structural and Qualitative Aspects of Identities among English Instructors in Chinese Universities

Summary/Abstract: This research delves into the exhibited identities of Chinese university English instructors within the domain of teaching English as a foreign language (EFL). The objective is to scrutinize the fundamental structure and attributes of these instructors' identities and assess their alignment with the principles of sustainable learning in education (SLE). This concept transcends mere knowledge acquisition in a specific discipline, striving instead to nurture enduring and adaptable learners capable of introspection, rejuvenation, continual learning, and the evaluation of imparted knowledge, while also orienting themselves towards future learning endeavors. A survey was employed to collect perceptions regarding manifested identities in teaching practice from a participant pool of 326 Chinese university English teachers. Through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), four distinct dimensions of identity emerged: Champion and Motivator for English Learning, Facilitator of English Learning, Thoughtful Practitioner and Researcher, and Scholarly Teacher. Subsequently, interviews were conducted with a subset of 12 educators to delve deeper into the contextual nuances of these identity facets. The findings reveal that these identity dimensions harmonize with the four pillars of sustainable learning in education, thus mirroring the instructors' inclinations toward sustainable language teaching practices. This study enriches our comprehension of language instructors' shared identities and proffers significant implications for the professional development of language educators.

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