Consumerist discourses on social media and TESOL teacher educator identity tensions

Research on the work of language teacher educators (LTEs) has not received much attention until recently. Existing studies in this area have primarily focused on LTEs working in higher education institutions (e.g., Barkhuizen, 2021; Golombek, 2015; López-Gopar et al., 2022; Yazan, 2019, 2022; Yuan & Lee, 2021), leaving the identity and practice of language teacher educators working in other domains, including private, mostly online sectors, largely unknown (see Yuan et al., 2022).

The rise of digital marketing and influencer culture on social media, along with the consumerist discourse, have introduced new identity tensions and challenges for teachers and teacher educators (Schroeder et al., 2023). However, research on LTE identity in relation to influencer culture on social media has received limited attention from researchers. Only a few studies have so far addressed teacher identity on social media (Chao, 2022; Curran, 2023; Nejadghanbar et al., 2024).

This case study explores how influencer culture and relevant consumerist discourses on social media affect an LTE’s identity negotiation and development. The study centers around the inquiry-based collaborative discussions of the two authors on the second author’s (H) experiences in self-branding on Instagram in the Iranian ELT context over three years. The analysis of four Zoom meetings as well as written discussions via email over one year reveals key discourses of sameness, omniscience, and the commercialized presentation of luxurious lifestyles. These discourses often equate social media visibility with professional qualifications, pressuring H to conform to trends that conflict with his sense of professionalism and authenticity. H’s experiences of emotional struggles and identity tensions led to his critical reflection on and ongoing negotiation of his professional identity. By expanding the discussion on LTEs’ identity work into a non-institutional context, the study provides implications for LTEs’ professional development across private, public, and blended domains.