A Comparative Study on Novice and Experienced EFL Teachers’ Expected and Feared Possible Selves: A Mixed-Methods Approach

Professional identity constitutes a main part of the English language teaching (ELT) system. This study aimed at investigating and comparing male and female novice and experienced EFL teachers’ expected and feared possible selves. In so doing, a sequential exploratory mixed methods design was used. The target population of the study included all male and female EFL teachers teaching at private language institutes of Iran. The sample of the study included a total number of 30 (15 males and 15 females) EFL teachers from private language institutes in different provinces of Iran through available sampling. Fifteen teachers were categorized as novice teachers (those with 1-5 years of teaching experience) and fifteen ones as experienced teachers (those with more than 5 years of teaching experience). To collect the data, a written reflective journal was used. The collected data were analyzed through qualitative thematic analysis. The results showed that the following expected possible selves were identified for novice and experienced EFL teachers: Professional Improvement, Enthusiasm to Learn Teaching Online, Building Warm Relations with Students, and Seeking to Learn New Teaching Methods. Moreover, the following feared possible selves were identified for novice and experienced EFL teachers: Being Known as an Unsuccessful Teacher, Lack of Ability to Manage Students, Being Exhausted, and Losing Job Satisfaction. Moreover, the results showed that experienced and novice EFL teachers do not significantly differ regarding their expected and feared possible selves. Finally, it was shown that male and female EFL teachers do not significantly differ regarding their expected and feared possible selves. The results have implications for EFL teachers, teacher education curriculum planners, teacher trainers and future researchers.