An ecological inquiry into transnational English language teachers’ emotional vulnerability and agency

Abstract

In this study, we propose an ecological model of teacheragency and emotional vulnerability that draws on epistemological rootsof these two constructs to capture historico-personal, socio-organizational,and prospective levels of teacher professionalism. We then ontologicallyapply the model to exploring transnational language teachers’ agency andemotional vulnerability in the context of Turkey. Framing the study withina narrative inquiry methodology, we collected data from open-ended ques-tionnaires, narrative frames, and semi-structured interviews. Data analysesrevealed that the teachers’ personal emotions, embodied agencies, andvulnerabilities were profoundly shaped by individual histories, contextualdiscourses, and sociocultural particularities. The findings unpack noveldimensions of teachers’ agency and emotional vulnerability, attesting totheir interconnection, especially within the context of transnationalism. Weconclude the study with implications for teacher educators to reduce thepressure on transnational teachers and render their agencies as rooted ineffective professional growth, rather than being defined by excessive vul-nerabilities that in turn restrict teacher agencies.