Assertion of Professional Identity through Classroom Discourse

Professional identity has been a contentious issue widely researched in the domain of educational studies for decades. How teachers view themselves professionally is believed to have a direct impact on their discourse in classrooms as well as how they utilize their expertise while teaching. This paper examines the understanding and assertion of the professional identity of two academics through classroom discourse. It takes the form of case study in an English department of a Chinese higher education institution. Classroom observation is used and lesson recordings are transcribed. In addition, transcriptions of semi-structured interviews are subjected to content and thematic analysis. Findings have revealed that teachers use classroom discourse as a way of asserting their professional identity, as what they believe they are differs significantly from what they are expected to be. Furthermore, although participants’ claims show a tendency of creating a hybrid professional identity (The Third Space), classroom discourse seems to provide more evidence in support of Foucault’s ‘utopia’ explanation.