Locked Between Policy and Practice: The Identity Journey of Novice Iranian Public School EFL Female Teachers via an Ecological View

Mozaheb, Mohammad Amin; Sardabi, Narges; Omidnezhad, Mercede

doi:10.22080/iselt.2026.30109.1133

Locked Between Policy and Practice: The Identity Journey of Novice Iranian Public School EFL Female Teachers via an Ecological View

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Department of Foreign Languages, Language Center, Imam Sadiq University, Tehran, Iran.

² Department of English, Faculty of Humanities, Ershad Institute of Higher Education, Tehran, Iran.

10.22080/iselt.2026.30109.1133

Abstract

This study explores the key factors shaping how novice EFL female teachers develop their professional identities within Iranian public schools. Through thematic analysis of interviews and focus group discussions with eight teachers, some key themes emerged guided by sociocultural theories of teacher identity and an ecological view of teacher agency. Findings revealed how novice teachers’ professional identity interacts with ecological dimensions of teacher agency. They create tensions between teachers' pedagogical beliefs and institutional realities and shape their evolving professional identities. The role of gender and the segregated schooling system in Iran was also found to be facilitative. The study highlights the need for systemic reforms, including improved mentoring programs, reduced class sizes, and greater curricular flexibility to support novice teachers' identity development. By addressing these challenges, teachers can show more resilience and become professionally fulfilled EFL teachers in Iranian public schools. To achieve this goal, policymakers and educational authorities need to provide institutional support and acknowledge ecologically-based teacher agency dimensions.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). Published by the Faculty of Persian Literature and Foreign Languages at the University of Mazandaran. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) license.

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