An expert EFL reading teacher’s readers club: reader identity and teacher professional development

Abstract

This study unveils a tertiary EFL reading teacher’s reader identity and its interconnectedness with her pedagogical decisions through narrative inquiry. Community of Practice was employed to elucidate the sources of this reading teacher’s reader identity and the interplay between that and her teaching practice. Findings from the categorical content analysis show that this reading teacher’s reader identity was projected through her strong passion towards reading. An interactive reading process that results in a better self-understanding is experienced through the reader’s reflection on her readings. She reified her reader identity in her teaching practice by forming a readers club. Reader (teacher)-text- reader (student) interaction is thus the most salient feature of this readers club and serves as a mediator that connects the members. Along with this feature, her competence of synchronicity with students was observed in this experienced reading teacher. Pedagogical implications concerning teacher education are discussed.