Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
International Conference on Transnational Education: Beyond Borders in Higher Education, Ankara, Türkiye, 28 - 29 Kasım 2025, ss.8-9, (Özet Bildiri)
As global teacher mobility accelerates alongside the internationalisation of higher education, the of transnational English language teachers raise important questions about identity, pedagogy, and professional development in diverse sociocultural contexts. While research has increasingly conceptualized language teacher identity (LTI) as fluid and ideologically situated (De Costa & Norton, 2017; Liu & Li, 2025), limited attention has been paid to how identity work unfolds within the institutional and policy frameworks of transnational education. This study positions identity as a lens for understanding how internationalisation processes are enacted and experienced in teaching practice. Drawing on Complex Systems Theory and Ecological Systems Theory, this narrative inquiry examines the professional trajectories of two transnational instructors - one from Türkiye teaching abroad, and one international faculty member working in Türkiye. Data from semi-structured interviews and reflective journals reveal how participants negotiated identity tensions, professional legitimacy, and belonging within higher education contexts shaped by mobility programs and teaching abroad. Preliminary findings suggest that identity construction is an ongoing, non-linear process influenced by macro-level ideologies such as native-speakerism, meso-level institutional practices, and micro-level interactions. The analysis highlights both the challenges and generative possibilities of cross-border teaching, showing how identity and transnational education are deeply interconnected. Teachers are not only knowledge transmitters; their identity work and development play a crucial role in shaping global teacher education and mobility, preparing teachers to thrive in diverse environments. As Swearingen (2019) notes, sociocultural approaches to teacher preparation encourage candidates to reposition themselves as negotiators of identities, with direct implications for pedagogy. By linking identity with transnational education, the study underscores the importance of inclusive policies and professional integration, informed by identity work, to strengthen teaching experiences and advance transnational teacher education.