Probing EAP teachers’ professional identity in the third space: a professional learning community

Purpose This study investigated the role of the professional learning community (PLC) in developing the professional identity of English for academic purposes (EAP) teachers within the third space. Design/methodology/approach As a critical hypothetical space, the third space has characteristics that affect the teachers’ professional identity. Four EAP teachers participated in the PLC program and provided data sources, including narratives, interviews, recorded sessions and field notes. Findings The findings of the deductive–inductive thematic analysis of this study revealed that PLC had a constructive role in developing EAP teachers’ professional identity in the third space. Moreover, the findings can be summarized in these four themes: (1) collective vision and values and collaboration of PLC would lead to self-esteem, (2) supportive conditions of PLC help EAP teachers’ work motivation, job satisfaction and future perspective to develop, (3) developing individual and group learning and reflective professional inquiry promotes professional commitment and (4) collective responsibility of EAP teachers helps them have better task orientation. Originality/value There is no such study addressing the third space among EAP teachers’ professional identity construction.