Teacher identity formation through classroom practices in the post-method era: A systematic review

Abstract

This paper presents a systematic review of 37 empirical studies that explored English teacher identity, and its formation through classroom practices from 1997 to 2020. After excluding 26 non-relevant studies from 63 articles, the remaining research has been analyzed through a systematic process to get salient themes that can be best cognized in terms of identity (re)construction issues among English language teachers, how they implement critical and post-method pedagogy, and reflect it in their classroom practices. More specifically, the following themes emerged: classroom practice as a reflection of teacher identity, native/non-native English speakers’ (NES/NNES) dichotomy, emotional tensions in identity formation, teachers’ knowledge of post-method pedagogy, and post-method barriers. This review also provided practical teaching tips for novice English teachers and teacher educators to better manage their identity tensions as teachers, improve their classroom practices and teacher education programs, and propose areas of investigation for future research. It calls for more in-depth qualitative and quantitative longitudinal studies that employ a positivist psychometric approach to measure and examine different facets of teacher identity development.