From Performance to Pedagogy: How Hosting Skills Catalyze the Reconstruction of Teachers' Professional Identity

This study explores how hosting skills—originally cultivated in broadcasting and performance communication—can be recontextualized to support teacher professional growth and pedagogical transformation. Conducted at the Mongolian Chinese Friendship School (MCFS) in Ulaanbaatar, the research involved three beginner-level Chinese language teachers who participated in a twelve-week professional development program integrating hosting-based strategies into classroom instruction. Drawing upon the frameworks of dialogic pedagogy (Alexander, 2020), reflective practice (Schön, 1983), and social constructivism (Vygotsky, 1978), the study investigates how teachers transitioned from scripted performance to authentic facilitation in their classrooms. A qualitative case study design was adopted, incorporating classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and teacher reflection journals. Thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke (2006) guided data interpretation, with triangulation and member checking enhancing trustworthiness. Results indicate a progressive transformation from performance-centered delivery to student-centered, interactive learning. Teachers’ communication behaviors shifted from one-way lecturing to responsive dialogue, fostering learner engagement and collaborative meaning-making. Table 1 compares classroom behaviors before and after the application of hosting skills, while Figure 1 illustrates the three-stage developmental process from performer to facilitator to host. These shifts were accompanied by increased teacher presence, attentiveness, and confidence—key dimensions also reflected in the thematic model presented in Figure 2. The findings suggest that hosting skills can function as pedagogical tools bridging expressive performance and educational facilitation. By merging presence, adaptability, and dialogic communication, hosting skills cultivate teachers’ ability to engage learners while maintaining authenticity. The study contributes to existing literature by positioning the teacher as both communicator and reflective practitioner, offering empirical support for integrating hosting-oriented training into teacher education programs to foster professional identity, classroom connection, and sustainable pedagogical growth.