Identity tension and emotion regulation: a case study of Chinese novice EFL teachers

Abstract This study explores the identity tensions and emotion regulation strategies of Chinese novice EFL teachers as they navigate these challenges. Using purposeful sampling, six novice EFL teachers were recruited based on their years of teaching experience, grade levels taught, and Banzhuren (homeroom teacher) experience. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis of the data reveals that identity tensions arise at the micro, meso, and macro levels, with emotion regulation playing a vital role in addressing these tensions. Participants’ imagined identity as key teachers in main subjects, collaborators with parents, and focused English teachers often conflict with the practiced identities as marginalised teachers, sole educators and constrained subordinate workers. Additionally, by applying Gross’s (2015) framework of emotion regulation, the research identifies four interrelated strategies that teachers employ to resolve identity tensions: cognitive reappraisal, situation modification, response modulation and attentional deployment. These strategies enable Chinese novice EFL teachers to either uphold their imagined identities, conform to their practiced identities, or, more frequently, inhabit a dynamic, transitional space between the two. The study broadens the understanding of EFL teachers’ professional identity development, highlighting the dynamic relationship between identity formation and emotion regulation.