Development and Validation of an English Language Teacher Professional Identity Scale (ELTPIS)

The notion of teacher professional identity has become a regular fixture in numerous theoretical and empirical studies in both mainstream and L۲ teacher education. Consequently, a number of scales have been designed and developed to quantify this construct. To be sure, the extant instruments are general with regard to both context and subject matter, and this line of inquiry has not addressed the quantification of the concept in the ELT profession. The present study was, therefore, an attempt to provide a (re)conceptualization of L۲ teachers’ professional identity through exploring its underlying components. To this end, an initial ۶۱-item, self-assessment questionnaire was developed using a comprehensive review of the related literature and experts’ opinion. The trial scale was then administered to a sample of ۶۷۶ ELT teachers. Results of exploratory factor analysis reduced the instrument to ۴۲ items, leading to a six-factor model which indicated that L۲ teacher identity includes: researching and developing one’s own practice; language awareness; institutional and collective practice; engaging learners as whole persons; appraising one’s teacher self; and sociocultural and critical practice. Confirmatory factor analysis substantiated the resultant six-factor model as a robust and valid tool for measuring ELT teachers’ professional identity.

کلیدواژه ها:

Teacher identity ، ELT teacher professional identity ، ELT teacher professional identity instrument ، ELT teacher professional identity model