Dissertation

Maintaining self while adapting: Chinese foreign language teachers’ identity development in an intercultural context

How do Chinese language teachers negotiate who they are as teachers when they work abroad? This dissertation offers clear, practice-oriented answers. It examines teacher identity - the everyday answer to 'What kind of teacher am I here?' - as it is reshaped through classroom interactions, institutional expectations, and cultural difference.

Author: Xu Liu
Date: 03 September 2025
Links: Fulltext in Leiden University Scholarly Publications

Internationalization as the backdrop

Set against growing internationalization in education and the global spread of Chinese language programs, this research follows CFL teachers working abroad (including European contexts). It looks closely at identity change over time, showing how day-to-day classroom moments and school policies can either constrain or catalyze teachers’ professional development.

Teacher identity is analyzed across personal, professional, and sociocultural dimensions. The dissertation shows that teacher–student relationships are a primary lens where identity is enacted and reworked; at the same time, school culture and wider policy shape what kinds of teacher identities are possible and valued.

Maintaining self while adapting

A central finding is that teachers thrive when they keep core values (rigor, care, respect) while adapting practices to local expectations. Shifting, for example, from one-way delivery to collaborative discussion with clear turn-taking. This 'hybrid professionalism' supports teacher well-being and student engagement, reframing international teachers not as transient workers but as agentic professionals who enrich the pedagogical landscape.

Practical guidance

For teacher education and mentors

Build intercultural competence as a core skill (not optional).
Use critical-incident reflection to convert tensions into learning.
Coach relationship strategies that blend high expectations with high support.

For schools and departments

Provide buddy systems, observation + feedback cycles, and structured induction.
Recognize cultural mediation work (beyond narrow test metrics).
Align policies so teachers can co-design class norms and assessment with students.

For classroom design

Co-construct routines that fit local norms while preserving academic challenge.
Offer formative feedback and clear participation signals to support autonomy.
Use culturally responsive materials that invite comparison and dialogue.

Future directions

Map social and agentic aspects of teacher identity more systematically.
Compare identity pathways across subjects and regions to test transferability.
Examine how digital/AI-mediated teaching reshapes identity and interaction.