Exploring EFL teachers' activity and identity construction through the path of private institutional policies
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Teachers’ identity-in-activity is an area that has not been explored in depth in the EFL domain. The objectives of this research study were to explore and understand how a group of English language teachers working at a private language institute constructed their identities in regard to their teaching practices and institutional policies, and to analyze how methodologies and rule systems affected their identity construction. Four EFL teachers from a language institute in Bogotá participated in a qualitative study in which a semi-structure interview and a focus group discussion were used as sources of information. Data were analyzed by using a narrative approach. Findings revealed that teachers’ identity construction transited from the past; seeing education in an instructional way, where they did not feel they would be teaching in the future, to nowadays love and enjoy their profession. Institutional policies impacted teachers in the way that they had to adopt a binary position when being and not being observed in class by their bosses. Taking roles of other professions was a way they consciously exert agency to escape from the framing teaching produced at a language institute. And finally, teachers strategically negotiated with policies in their teaching practices. Teachers acted autonomously based on their beliefs and professional formation not to become just implementers of curriculums who can be defined by a number. Instead, they stood as professionals in charge of transforming people’s lives through education. This research study provides rich information for institutions to consider in terms of teachers’ professional development and participation in curriculum implementation.