Operating in global educational contact zones: How pedagogical adaptation to local contexts may result in the renegotiation of the professional identities of English language teachers

This article explores how the professional identities of ten experienced English language teachers were affected as their pedagogies adapted to operating in a major government institution of higher education in Qatar. Exploratory research was employed. A logical chain of evidence was established in order to analyze qualitative data which was generated by open-ended questionnaires. The results indicate that institutionally imposed pedagogical adaptation may result in a renegotiation of professional identity for some teachers. Additionally, teachers experience identity renegotiation in very personal ways.