Volume 4, Issue 4 (December 2025)
IJER 2025, 4(4): 1-20 |
Back to browse issues page
Download citation:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
Hadi S, Rezvani E, Salehi H, Tabatabaei O. (2025). Structural Equation Modeling of Language Socialization and Professional Identity Formation among Iranian EFL Teachers. IJER. 4(4), 1-20. doi:10.22034/ijer.4.4.21
URL: http://ijer.hormozgan.ac.ir/article-1-459-en.html
URL: http://ijer.hormozgan.ac.ir/article-1-459-en.html
1- Department of English, Na.C., Islamic Azad University, Najafabad, Iran
2- Department of English, Isf. C., Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran ,e.rezvani@iau.ac.ir
3- Department of English, Na.C., Islamic Azad University, Najafabad, Iran
4- Department of English, Na.C., Islamic Azad University, Najafabad, Iran
2- Department of English, Isf. C., Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran ,
3- Department of English, Na.C., Islamic Azad University, Najafabad, Iran
4- Department of English, Na.C., Islamic Azad University, Najafabad, Iran
Abstract: (861 Views)
Objective: This study aimed to empirically validate a comprehensive conceptual model of language socialization as a dynamic, multifaceted mechanism influencing professional identity formation among Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers. The model was grounded in prior qualitative work and sought to explain how causal, contextual, strategic, intervening, and outcome factors interact to shape teacher identity.
Methods: Based on insights from 11 in-depth qualitative interviews, a 62-item questionnaire was developed to capture five major dimensions of the proposed model. The survey was administered to 213 Iranian EFL teachers representing varied academic backgrounds, institutional settings, and professional experiences. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to assess construct validity, and structural equation modeling (SEM) examined direct and indirect relationships among the model components.
Results: CFA supported strong construct validity (CFI = 0.95; RMSEA = 0.05). SEM results demonstrated significant pathways among all major variables, with strategic actions serving as a key mediating mechanism between contextual conditions and professional identity outcomes. Findings confirm the relevance of sociocultural and organizational socialization theories, showing that teacher identity is shaped through a combination of individual agency, peer collaboration, reflective practice, and institutional structures.
Conclusions: The validated model provides robust empirical evidence from a non-Western context, illustrating how language socialization processes contribute to identity development among EFL teachers. The results highlight the importance of reflective engagement, collaborative professional communities, and sustained institutional support in fostering resilient and adaptive teacher identities. These insights offer practical implications for teacher education, curriculum design, and educational policy aimed at strengthening professional growth and effectiveness in global EFL contexts.
Methods: Based on insights from 11 in-depth qualitative interviews, a 62-item questionnaire was developed to capture five major dimensions of the proposed model. The survey was administered to 213 Iranian EFL teachers representing varied academic backgrounds, institutional settings, and professional experiences. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to assess construct validity, and structural equation modeling (SEM) examined direct and indirect relationships among the model components.
Results: CFA supported strong construct validity (CFI = 0.95; RMSEA = 0.05). SEM results demonstrated significant pathways among all major variables, with strategic actions serving as a key mediating mechanism between contextual conditions and professional identity outcomes. Findings confirm the relevance of sociocultural and organizational socialization theories, showing that teacher identity is shaped through a combination of individual agency, peer collaboration, reflective practice, and institutional structures.
Conclusions: The validated model provides robust empirical evidence from a non-Western context, illustrating how language socialization processes contribute to identity development among EFL teachers. The results highlight the importance of reflective engagement, collaborative professional communities, and sustained institutional support in fostering resilient and adaptive teacher identities. These insights offer practical implications for teacher education, curriculum design, and educational policy aimed at strengthening professional growth and effectiveness in global EFL contexts.
Keywords: Language socialization, Professional identity, Iranian EFL teachers, Structural Equation modeling, Teacher development
Type of Study: Original |
Subject:
Educational Studies
Received: 2025/06/6 | Accepted: 2025/09/15 | Published: 2025/12/1
Received: 2025/06/6 | Accepted: 2025/09/15 | Published: 2025/12/1
References
1. Aburous, D., & Kamla, R. (2022). Linguistic tensions in a professional accounting field: English linguistic capital, hierarchy, prestige, and distinction among accountants. Contemporary Accounting Research, 39(2), 1120-1149. [DOI:10.1111/1911-3846.12751]
2. Ahmad, H., Shah, S. R., Latada, F., & Wahab, M. N. (2019). Teacher identity development in professional learning: An overview of theoretical frameworks. Bulletin of Advanced Engineering Studies, 3, 1-11. [DOI:10.31559/baes2019.3.1.1]
3. Akkerman, S. F., & Meijer, P. C. (2011). A dialogical approach to conceptualizing teacher identity. Teaching and Teacher Education, 27, 308-319. [DOI:10.1016/j.tate.2010.08.013]
4. Alimova, F. A. (2022). Organization of independent work of future teachers of chemistry on the basis of project activities.
5. Beauchamp, C., & Thomas, L. (2009). Understanding teacher identity: An overview of issues in the literature and implications for teacher education. Cambridge Journal of Education, 39(2), 175-189. [DOI:10.1080/03057640902902252]
6. Derakhshan, A., Coombe, C., Arabmofrad, A., & Taghizadeh, M. S. (2020). Investigating the effects of English language teachers' professional identity and autonomy in their success. Issues in Language Teaching, 9(1), 1-28. [DOI:10.22054/ilt.2020.52263.496]
7. Duff, P. A. (2017). Language socialization, higher education, and work. In P. A. Duff & S. May (Eds.), Language Socialization (pp. 255-272). Cham: Springer. [DOI:10.1007/978-3-319-02255-0]
8. Giddens, A. (2023). Modernity and self-identity. In Social Theory Re-Wired (pp. 477-484). Routledge. [DOI:10.4324/9781003320609-62]
9. Mahmoodarabi, M., et al. (2021). Development and validation of an English language teacher professional identity scale. [Journal Name], Volume(Issue), pages.
10. Moradkhani, S., & Ebadijalal, M. (2024). The role of agency in sustaining professional identity among Iranian EFL teachers. [Journal Name], Volume(Issue), pages.
11. Namaziandost, E., et al. (2024). Strategic professional actions and identity consolidation: Empirical study in Iranian EFL context. [Journal Name], Volume(Issue), pages.
12. Wenger, E. (2023). Communities of practice: Learning, meaning, and identity. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Send email to the article author
| Rights and permissions | |
 |
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons - Attribution 4.0 International. |
