Positioning, power, and identity transformation among English teachers in Chinese private universities: a narrative inquiry

This study provides a power-focused and temporally grounded account of identity transformation in the context of resource-constrained private institutions. The research demonstrates that identity is a dynamic and emotionally mediated process. Two context-specific concepts, discursively orphaned identity and performed stagnation, highlight subtle forms of disempowerment that are often overlooked in formal policy discourse. The findings suggest that institutional support should go beyond material resources to encompass discursive inclusion and symbolic affirmation. This provides theoretical insights for future research and policymaking in the field of language teacher education in resource-constrained private higher education settings.