Snapshots of teacher identity in English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D) education in Australia - Insights for pre-service educators

Oct 15, 2026

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This article presents practitioner-focused identity “snapshots” drawn from interviews with experienced teachers of English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D) working in Australian schools. It helps pre-service and early-career EAL/D educators understand lived realities of teaching through thematically organised insights grounded in teachers’ personal narratives and reflections. Five identity themes emerge from experiences, classroom practices, and sociopolitical contexts, including student-centred teaching, policy and institutional challenges, emotional labour, and advocacy. Accompanied by an identity reflection toolkit, the study supports reflective practice and professional learning while centring teacher voice to inform teacher preparation.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages25

Reading Time1 h 3 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Literature Review

EAL/D Teacher Identity and Identity Work

Australian Journal of Applied Linguistics ISSN 2209-0959 [https://www.castledown.com/journals/ajal/](https://www.castledown.com/journals/ajal/) Australian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 8 (5), 102764 (2025) [https://doi.org/10.29140/ajal.v8n5.102764](https://doi.org/10.29140/ajal.v8n5.102764) Snapshots of teacher identity in English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D) education in Australia: Insights for pre-service educators JOSHUA MATTHEWS University of New England, Australia Abstract This article presents a series of practitioner-focused identity “snapshots” drawn from interviews with experienced teachers of English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D) working in Australian schools. It supports pre-service and early-career EAL/D educators in understanding the lived realities of Australian EAL/D teaching through thematically organised insights based on teachers’ personal narratives and reflections. Based on interviews exploring personal experiences, classroom practices, and sociopolitical contexts, five key identity themes were identified: (1) personal background shapes teaching identity,(2) teaching is deeply student-centred,(3) institutional and policy challenges impact classroom practice,(4) emotional labour is a significant part of thejob, and (5) EAL/D teachers often become advocates. These snapshots offer accessible, authentic accounts of Australian EAL/D teaching, designed to support reflective practice and professional learning in teacher education programs. Accompanied by a practical identity reflection toolkit, they translate teacher narratives into structured, applied learning. Addressing a gap in Australian EAL/D research, the study centres teacher voice through thematically organised practitioner accounts purpose-built to scaffold identity work in teacher preparation. Keywords: Australian education, EAL/D teacher identity, pre-service teachers, professional learning, teacher voice, thematic analysis Introduction Understanding teacher identity is central to preparing educators for the realities of contemporary language classrooms, particularly in EAL/D contexts, where cultural, linguistic, and political complexities shape daily practice. While identity is often discussed in theoretical terms, this study positions it as a pedagogical resource for teacher education. According to Vargheseet al. (2005), teacher identity extends beyond the personal domain, functioning as a “critical component in the socio-cultural and socio-political landscape of the language classroom”(p. 22). In diverse educational systems such as Australia’s, where students bring rich cultural and linguistic resources, EAL/D teachers construct their professional identities within complex and often challenging teaching environments shaped by personal histories, institutional roles, and broader policy contexts (Janes & Chen, 2024; Mockler, 2011; Olsen, 2016) . Supporting identity development is a core concern in teacher education (Farrell & Ives, 2015; Mockler, 2011) and should be central to initial teacher preparation (Kanno & Stuart, 2011) . However, little research directly informs pre-service EAL/D teacher education (Richards, 2023), including within Australia. Where such work does exist, it seldom centres teacher voice or directly informs teacher education practice (Matthews et al., 2025) . This study addresses that gap by presenting practitioner-narrated accounts of EAL/D teacher identity, drawn from interviews with eight highly experienced EAL/D educators working within Australia. Rather than full case studies, these are carefully curated ‘snapshots’ that show how EAL/D teachers construct, negotiate, and express their professional identities. The intention is pedagogical: to provide accessible, experience-rich insights that support identity formation and reflective learning among pre-service and early-career EAL/D teachers. In particular, the study exploreshow experienced EAL/D teachers describe the d

FAQs

What kind of evidence does the article use to explore EAL/D teacher identity?

It draws on practitioner-focused identity “snapshots” produced from interviews with eight highly experienced EAL/D educators working in Australia.

Which themes about teacher identity are identified in the study?

The study identifies five themes: teachers’ personal background shapes identity, teaching is deeply student-centred, institutional and policy challenges affect classroom practice, emotional labour is significant, and EAL/D teachers often become advocates.

How is the article intended to support pre-service and early-career educators?

The snapshots provide accessible, experience-rich insights for reflective learning, and they are complemented by a practical identity reflection toolkit designed for teacher education programs.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Kurz