Teacher identity and transformative agency in international programs at Vietnamese universities

Purpose This study aims to examine how educators in internationalized higher education contexts develop their professional identities through transformative agency within asymmetrical transnational arrangements. While intercultural and international education literature increasingly recognizes teacher identity as shaped by global-local dynamics, inadequate attention has been paid to how these identity formation processes unfold within unequal transnational contexts. Design/methodology/approach The research includes 51 in-depth interviews conducted with educators across 13 international programs of 8 universities. Findings Four key themes emerged: hierarchical curricula and transformative co-construction; constrained pedagogical authority and microlevel transformative autonomy; conservative institutional norms and collective practice for systematic transformation; and symbolic hierarchies and the claimed legitimacy of equal recognition. The study shows how educators’ identity is reconstructed within asymmetrical transnational partnerships. This process drives educators to reframe pedagogical authority, adapt global curricula and rebuild recognition through relational and procedural strategies while challenging epistemic and symbolic marginalization. Originality/value The study extends scholarship on intercultural education by demonstrating that transformative agency arises not only in resisting structural constraints but also in renegotiating power relations, curricular authority and recognition. In doing so, the study offers fresh insights into how teacher identity is navigated and shaped in more just and inclusive educational environments.