Artificial Intelligence and Professional Identity Construction among EFL Teachers: A Critical Review of Emerging Perspectives in AI-Supported Language Education

The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), has transformed educational environments and significantly influenced English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching practices. Beyond improving instructional efficiency, AI has introduced profound changes in teachers' professional roles, pedagogical beliefs, and identity construction. Consequently, teacher professional identity has become a central topic in contemporary educational research. This review synthesizes and critically examines three recent qualitative studies investigating the relationship between AI integration and professional identity among EFL teachers. Drawing upon comparative thematic analysis, the review identifies common patterns regarding teachers' evolving roles, technological competence, pedagogical adaptation, and identity negotiation across different educational contexts. The findings demonstrate that AI functions simultaneously as a catalyst for professional growth and a source of identity-related tensions. While AI enhances instructional creativity, efficiency, and teacher confidence, it also challenges traditional perceptions of teacher authority, authenticity, and pedagogical expertise. Furthermore, differences between novice, pre-service, and experienced teachers reveal that professional identity transformation is highly context-dependent and influenced by career stage, institutional support, and digital literacy. The review also highlights the theoretical and methodological contributions of the selected studies, identifies existing research gaps, and proposes future research directions for AI-supported language education. Overall, the study argues that successful AI integration requires not only technological competence but also continuous professional identity development, institutional support, and critical AI literacy among language teachers.

کلیدواژه ها:

Artificial Intelligence ، Generative AI ، EFL Teachers ، Professional Identity ، Teacher Identity ، Language Education ، AI-supported Teaching ، Professional Development