Novice and Expert Teachers’ Professional Identity: Examining the Role of Gender and Social Status among Iranian EFL Learners

Subject Areas :

Neda Shahmoradi ¹ , Fazlolah Samimi ² , Farah Shooraki ³

1 - Department of English, Maybod Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mabobd, Iran
2 - Department of English, Bandar-Abbas Branch, Islamic Azad University, Bandar-Abbas, Iran
3 - Department of English, Maybod Branch, Islamic Azad University, Maybod, Iran

Received: 2024-07-30 Accepted : 2024-08-30 Published : 2024-06-29

Keywords: Expert Teachers, Novice Teachers, Professional Identity, Social Status,

Abstract :

This non-experimental study aimed to figure out if Iranian novice and expert EFL teachers had differing attitudes regarding professional identity (PI). It also measured if gender and various social statuses of high, mid and low had any mediating role in novice and expert teachers’ attitudes towards PI. Therefore, a 20-item PI questionnaire to which demographic variables of, teaching experience, gender and social status attached was distributed through various means, including emails, social media platforms, and personal contacts due to sanitary protocols and in the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic. These results indicate that regardless of experience level, gender, or social status, teachers' attitudes towards professional identity remain consistent. The study suggests that factors such as gender and social status do not play a significant role in shaping teachers' perceptions of their professional identity. Also, the findings of the study can be beneficial for teachers by highlighting that their attitudes towards professional identity are not significantly influenced by gender or social status. This can help alleviate concerns or biases related to these factors and encourage teachers to focus on their individual growth and development

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