1. Topic

In recent decades, globalization in education has increased teachers' mobility, particularly in the field of foreign language teaching and learning (Wang et al., 2013). With increasing demands for learning Chinese worldwide, teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) has become more internationalized. The Netherlands was one of the earliest countries in Europe to introduce Chinese as an elective course in secondary schools(Zhou, 2010). A growing number of Dutch people show interest in learning about Chinese language and culture, thus the demand for qualified CFL teachers is increasing.

         As a result of growing demand and increased mobility, native speaker CFL teachers face new challenges in working in international teaching environments. Findings from previous studies show that teachers' professional identity is an essential factor in effective foreign language teaching (Karimi & Mofidi, 2019). Teachers' adaptation of their professional identity when teaching abroad is a dynamic process involving constant experimenting, reflecting, exploring, and responding to challenges (Borg, 2003).

2. Objective

          This study aims to deepen the understanding of how native speaker CFL teachers construct and transform their identity while teaching CFL in the Netherlands. Investigating how CFL teachers experience, perceive, and cope with the process of developing their identity in an intercultural context is not only beneficial for CFL teachers’ professional development but can also generate new knowledge on the language teaching profession.

3. Theoretical framework

        Previous studies have reported that Chinese educational culture strongly influences how Chinese teachers perceive themselves in an overseas context (Moloney & Xu, 2015; Wang & Du, 2016; Yang, 2019). Conflicts can be seen in CFL classrooms because Chinese teachers tend to be authoritarian and teacher-centered (Moloney & Xu, 2016), whereas students from western contexts expect more autonomy and interaction (Willemse et al., 2015). As a result, the transformation of CFL teachers' professional identity can involve challenges, such as having difficulty in retaining students (Wang & Du, 2016), and having low self-efficacy beliefs in designing intriguing class activities (Yang, 2019). These challenges reflect CFL teachers’ dilemma of how to integrate their educational beliefs shaped by traditional Chinese culture with the pedagogical principles commonly applied in the local context (Moloney, 2013).

            CFL teachers’ identity plays an important role in the effectiveness of CFL teaching and stands at the core of CFL teachers’ teaching profession (Sun, 2012). It is a dyamic and ever-shifting construct (Wang & Du, 2014) which cannot be conceptualized directly. Yet, among the few studies of CFL teachers’ identity, hardly any have explored identity through a multifaceted view. In order to provide a comprehensive understanding, the current study categorizes CFL teachers’ identity into the following six domains from Hanna et al. (2019) literature review on teachers’ identity: (1) Self-image (How and in what way do individuals view themselves as teachers); (2) motivation (Motivations to be or to become a teacher); (3) self-efficacy (Teachers' belief in their capability to organize and perform their daily teaching activities effectively); (4) task perception (The objectives of foreign language teaching); (5) teaching commitment (Commitment and/or dedication to becoming/being a teacher); (6) job satisfaction (How teachers feel about the work and work situation). This approach to categorizing is used to establish a tool to analyze and interpret the empirical data presented in the current paper. Therefore, by exploring the complexities of CFL teachers’ identity in relation to six domains, the present study aims to contribute insights into CFL teachers’ professional identity in the cross-cultural setting.

4. Research question

How do native speaker CFL teachers perceive their identity in relation to six identity domains (self-image; motivation; self-efficacy; task perception; teaching commitment; job satisfaction) in an intercultural context in the Netherlands?

Context and Participants In the Netherlands, CFL teachers mainly work in secondary schools and Confucius institutes. Some of secondary schools offer Chinese as an optional subject and some as a set part of the curriculum. Confucius institutes (CI) provide CFL teaching in three cities in the Netherlands, and courses in the CI are offered to broad target groups. CFL teachers typically work in one or more of the above settings. Many of these teachers are native-Chinese speakers who either came to the Netherlands to work in the Confucius institutes or who lived in the Netherlands for several years before becoming a CFL teacher. The current study included both of these groups. A purposeful sampling technique was adopted to recruit CFL teachers from the two Confucius institutes and various secondary schools across the Netherlands as participants. Access to CFL teachers was obtained via the first and second authors’ professional network. Participants’ teaching experience in the Netherlands ranged from 1 year to 25 years. Some also had prior teaching experience in China or elsewhere. Procedure and instrument Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with a brief outline as guide. The outline included questions to identify teachers' educational background and professional experience, as well as starting questions based on Hanna et al. (2019) six domains. Within-method triangulation was applied through asking several questions with similar focus so that the interviewees would approach one issue from different angles and provide answers that complement each other. The interview recordings were transcribed and verbatim for further analysis. Data analysis The inductive-deductive content method (Zhang & Wildemuth, 2009) was employed to analyze the collected data. Analysis began with a careful reading of the transcribed data to become familiar with the content. Then the transcribed texts were coded based on a concept-driven approach (Schreier, 2012), drawing upon the six domains of identity in Hanna et al. (2019) systematic review study. After categorizing the related texts into six domains, the next step was to further inductively differentiate these six domains. The first author conducted the inductive thematic analysis of identifying themes under each domain, followed by an analytical summary of each domain. In order to enhance trustworthiness, constant comparison (Mertens, 2019) was employed to categorize quotes into six domains according to the perspectives expressed, and examine differences within each domain. Throughout the process of coding, the research team met to discuss any discrepancies between coding and summaries.

Process of transforming as a teacher The findings from the current study suggest that the intercultural context affects all six domains (self-image, motivation, self-efficacy, task perception, commitment, job satisfaction) of teachers’ identity, as identified by Hanna. Furthermore, cross-cultural teaching and living experiences in the Netherlands allow CFL teachers to compare different educational cultures in the Netherlands and China, encouraging them to reflect on their professional identity and other aspects of teaching. Challenges in the process of transforming Although most teachers in our study expressed their willingness to adapt to the new educational context, they did not all experience the transformative process as easy. Challenges were identified in several areas, such as handling disruptive behaviors in class, cultivating students’ interest in learning Chinese and access to professional support. However, despite the difficulties teachers may face when working in a new educational context, they are making efforts to manage the tensions between the demands of the new context and their professional needs. Keeping Chinese identity In addition, the current study's findings indicate that even if identity transformation in an intercultural context is inevitable, teachers’ primary Chinese identity does not change. Previous studies have noted teachers may hold a “core identity” when working in a cross-cultural setting (Wang & Du, 2014). This core identity seems to be anchored in their native Chinese identity rather than the “Western-oriented” one that connects to the environment they work in. CFL teachers emphasized that adapting to the new educational context should involve more integration rather than assimilation (cf., Bennett, 2004). Likewise, teachers in the current study wanted to find a middle way, valuing teaching beliefs from both educational cultures, and learning from both sides. These findings further support the idea that language teachers intellectually engage with their cultural affiliations by embracing but not internalizing “the other” culture (Fichtner & Chapman, 2011).

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