‘I view teaching differently’: identity development of university teachers doing professional doctorates

Through the lens of identity, this study explored the lived experiences of two Chinese university English-as-a-foreign-language teachers who were doing a professional doctorate for professional development. Adopting a narrative case study design and informed by activity theory, the study drew on a rich dataset comprising narrative frames, interviews, informal communications, netnographic observations and artefacts. Thematic and activity systems analyses revealed how the two focal teachers developed different identities through interacting with the external influences in the dual activity systems of professional work and doctoral study. In particular, the analyses unravelled hidden structural tensions inherent in the dual activity systems and showcased the participants’ mediated actions and strategies for dealing with these tensions. The study suggests developing sustainable mechanisms and tailored programmes to support in-service teachers’ degree studies, while also calling for teachers to creatively retool contextual affordances for continuing professional development.