The Impact of Gender on the Professional Identity of Seven Female Teachers of English in Japanese Higher Education

概要

論文の詳細を見る
This paper presents the results of a study that investigated the professional identity of seven　Japanese female teachers of English in Japanese higher education. The study employed a narrative　approach and used Gee’s (2000) four perspectives of identity as the theoretical framework to　analyze interview data obtained from the seven women, ranging in age from their early thirties　to their early sixties. It was found that the participants’ gender plays a profound role in the　formation of their professional identity from ( a ) their early access to English language education,　which was a foundational step toward becoming university teachers; ( b ) to how they　gained the necessary academic qualifications to become university teachers, and ( c ) to how　they are recognized and accepted within their academic communities. The paper concludes that　there is a complex relationship between gender and power that is directly related to English　study in Japan and to the employment of female university teachers.
2012-03-30