Claiming Legitimacy in the Academic Field: Chinese University TESOL Lecturers' Investment in Doctoral Learning

Drawing upon the theoretical framework of the investment model, the study explored two Chinese university TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) lecturers' experiences of investing in doctoral studies.Following a narrative case study design, data were collected through narrative frames, in-depth interviews, and multiple follow-ups via informal communications.Analysis of the data revealed that the two focal participants reframed their projected identities and drew upon their established capital to navigate the challenges in their doctoral journey.Meanwhile, their investment in doctoral studies created spaces for them to construct a range of new capital, which allowed them to claim legitimacy within the professional context of higher education, albeit through non-linear and varied trajectories.By situating investment in learning at the intersection of capital, identity, and ideology, as informed by the theoretical framework, the study unravelled the complexities of in-service teachers' pursuit of further doctoral education and the impact of doctoral education on TESOL lecturers' ongoing professional identity constructions.The study offers implications for the continuing professional development of TESOL lecturers in China and beyond.It also serves as an important empirical reference for institutional policymakers and doctoral program designers on how to better support in-service teachers' engagement in further doctoral learning.