Dissertation Proposal Announcement Ed.D. Program: Xiaoxuan Li “Transnational Chinese Language Teachers in U.S. Schools: A Narrative Study”

This study explores the lived experiences of transnational Chinese language teachers in U.S. K–12 educational settings, focusing on their personal and professional identity development as immigrants and educators. Anchored in Gao’s (2016) framework for language teacher identity research, the study investigates how individual agency and contextual factors intersect to shape professional identities. It examines the dynamic interplay between teachers’ aspirations and capacities (self/agency), interactions with social agents and institutional structures (situated activity), and the influence of institutional settings and broader sociopolitical contexts (macro-context). Employing narrative inquiry and a transdisciplinary approach, the study integrates semi-structured interviews and participant-selected artifacts to capture rich, context-sensitive narratives. Gao’s (2016) framework highlights identity development’s mediated and temporal nature, emphasizing how enabling and constraining environmental factors shape professional growth. The research aims to uncover transnational Chinese language teachers’ challenges and opportunities by analyzing these narratives and addressing power dynamics, resource distribution, and institutional practices. The findings will contribute to the language teacher identity research field and provide practical recommendations for supporting immigrant educators in navigating complex educational landscapes.

Gao, X. (2016). Questioning the identity turn in language teacher (educator) research. In G. Barkhuizen (Ed.), Reflections on language teacher identity research (pp. 197–203). Routledge.