Emotion labor and professional identity construction of EAP teachers: an activity theory perspective

This study explores the emotion labor (EL) and professional identity construction of English for academic purposes (EAP) teachers through the lens of activity theory. The study employed a qualitative approach, utilizing narrative frames and semi-structured interviews as the primary data collection tools. Data were collected from ten EAP teachers who completed narrative frames and participated in follow-up semistructured interviews. Using Lichtman’s 3Cs (2014), the two datasets were comparatively coded in light of the components within the activity theory framework. The findings revealed that EAP teachers experience EL arising from the in-class, institutional, and sociocultural parameters of EAP instruction in the Iranian context. Such EL also influenced their identities in personal, interpersonal, and belonging dimensions. The findings shed light on the challenges and strategies employed by EAP teachers in managing their emotions, and how these experiences impact their professional identities.