Although part-time university English teachers play an essential role in Japan’s higher education (Strong, 2022), little research has examined how their professional identity develops across career transitions. Drawing on Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecological systems theory and Zittoun’s (2006) concept of transitions and ruptures, this study examines how part-time English teachers negotiate teacher identity and professional development across institutional contexts.
Using narrative inquiry, data were collected from two English teachers in Japan—one transitioning to full-time university employment and one returning to secondary education—through interviews, questionnaires, and written career trajectories. Qualitative analysis revealed how differing forms of community participation shaped each teacher’s professional identity and career trajectory. For the teacher moving into full-time university employment, sustained interaction with colleagues and accumulated expertise from years of part-time teaching across universities led to professional growth, career advancement, and identity consolidation. In contrast, the teacher who returned to secondary education described how limited collegial and student interaction and restricted institutional involvement during part-time university employment—despite greater autonomy and flexibility—motivated this career decision.
Across both cases, transitions involved ruptures—periods of instability and uncertainty—that prompted reflection, identity redefinition, and the pursuit of new professional meanings by also drawing on their personal, social, and institutional resources. By foregrounding emic perspectives, this study highlights the central role of professional communities in shaping identity, emotions, and career decision-making. The study contributes to research on language teacher identity, emotions, and professional development (Karimi et al., 2025), offering implications for teachers, teacher educators, and policymakers.
Reference
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The Ecology of Human Development. Harvard University Press.
Karimi, M. N., Pentón Herrera, L. J., & Mansouri, B. (Eds.). (2025). Teacher Emotions as Personal and Professional Development in Applied Linguistics. Multilingual Matters.
Strong, G. (2022). Supporting part-time ELT faculty in a Japanese university. ELT Journal, 77(2), 241–244.
Zittoun, T. (2006). Transitions: Development Through Symbolic Resources. Information Age Publishing.
