Investigating the Effects of English Language Teachers' Professional Identity and Autonomy in Their Success

Abstract

Because of the importance of instructor success in the adequacy of instruction and learning, this study aimed to explain the impact of two factors, namely language teachers' professional identity and autonomy, with respect to their success. To this end, 190 Iranian EFL teachers, including university lecturers and language institute teachers, participated in this study. As for data collection, the Teacher Autonomy Questionnaire (TAQ), the Teacher Professional Identity Scale (TPIS), and the Characteristics of Successful Language Teachers Questionnaire (CSLTQ) were distributed among the respondents. Using Cronbach's alpha estimates and correlational analyses, the reliability of the questionnaires and the associations among the TAQ, TPIS, and CSLTQ were examined, respectively. The results of Pearson correlations revealed that there were significant positive correlations among all three teacher factors. These findings were also confirmed by Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) results; teacher success was predicted positively and significantly by both professional identity and autonomy. Outcomes of this research suggest that teachers' professional identity and autonomy are highly beneficial to their success. This study also outlined the elements of teachers' professional identity that could be more useful for their success. In the end, relevant pedagogical implications are discussed.

Full text

Investigating the Role of English Language Teachers’ Professional
Identity and Autonomy in Their Success
Ali Derakhshan (Corresponding Author)
Assistant Professor in Applied Linguistics, Golestan University, Gorgan, Iran
E-mail: a.derakhshan@gu.ac.ir
Mohammadsadegh Taghizadeh
Ph.D. student in Applied Linguistics, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran
E-mail: M_taghizadeh98@atu.ac.ir
Abstract
Due to the importance of teacher success in the adequacy of teaching and learning, the present
study aimed to examine the role of two factors, namely language teachers’ professional identity
and autonomy with respect to their success. To this end, 190 Iranian EFL teachers, including
university lecturers and language institute teachers participated in this study. Teacher Autonomy
questionnaire (TAQ), Teacher Professional Identity Scale (TPIS), and the Characteristics of
Successful Language Teachers Questionnaire (CSLTQ) were distributed among the respondents.
Using Cronbach’s alpha and correlational analyses, first, the reliability of the questionnaires and
the associations among TAQ, TPIS, and CSLTQ were examined. The results of Pearson
correlations reveal that there are positive significant correlations among all three scales. These
findings were also confirmed by Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) results; teacher success is
predicted positively and significantly by both professional identity and autonomy. Findings of the
present study suggest that teachers’ professional identity and autonomy are highly beneficial to
their success. This study also outlined which elements of teachers’ professional identity could be
more useful for their success. The implications are also discussed.
Keywords: Teacher Professional Identity, Teacher Autonomy, Teacher Success

Introduction
Needless to say that teachers are considered as the most outstanding component of any system of
education, and the adequacy of education depends on the effectiveness of the teachers in that
educational system (Aubrey & Coombe, 2010; Coombe, 2014; 2020; Pishghadam, Derakhshan,
& Zhaleh, 2019). Therefore, it is not surprising that a large number of educational studies have
addressed the characteristics of successful language teachers. Some of these studies have tried to
provide a broader understanding of teacher success than one that only accords significance to
professional characteristics as language proficiency and managing skills. While language
proficiency and managing skills are consistently considered indispensable in research studies, it
would appear that they are not thought to be the essence of an effective teacher. Notwithstanding
the fact that language proficiency and managing skills are fundamental requirements of a language
teacher (Bremner, 2019), what is taken in by the learners may not depend so much on content or
skill but rather on the personality of the teacher or on the nature of the personal relationship
between the teacher and the student (Brosh, 1996).
In an attempt to keep in line with developments in psychology and cognitive sciences, this
upsurge in language education research has investigated the impact of language teachers’
personality characteristics on their teaching practices and professional success. Among those
investigated, one can refer to language teachers’ multiple intelligences (Chan, 2003; Pishghadam
& Moafian, 2007), emotional intelligence (Derakhshan, Saeidi, & Beheshti, 2019; Dev, Nair, &
Dwivedi, 2016; Khodadady, 2012; Naqvi, Iqbal, & Akhtar, 2016), creativity (Arifani & Suryanti,
2019; Khodabakhshzadeh, Hosseinnia, Moghadam, & Ahmadi, 2018), stroke and credibility
(Pishghadam et al., 2019), professional development (Elsheikh, Coombe, & Effiong 2018), and
self-efficacy (Bembenutty, 2007; Fathi & Derakhshan, 2019; Ghanizadeh & Moafian, 2011).
Following this line of research, teachers’ professional identity and autonomy are two other viable
domains which can play pivotal role in the teacher success in language teaching programs which
have been less examined.
The concept of identity is explained in terms of a unique set of one’s own characteristics
perceived in comparison to other individuals (Pennington & Richards, 2016). In other words,
identity is related to people’s concept of who they think they are, and what other people think of
them. In the last decades, many scholars have investigated the concept of language teacher identity

(e.g., Ghanizadeh & Ostad, 2016; Labbaf, Moinzadeh, & Dabaghi, 2019; Mora, Trejo, & Roux,
2014; Morgan, 2004; Pavlenko, 2003). Nevertheless, this area is still a promising area of research
compared to the body of research devoted to learner identity (e.g., Ha, 2008; Norton & Toohey,
2011). It is, therefore, asserted that investigating identity and its role in teacher education
contributes to the acknowledgment of what it feels like to be a teacher in today’s educational
settings and aids to dissolve conflicts between person and context (Beijaard, Meijer, & Verloop,
2004).
In the educational settings, professional identity is reflected as being complicated and
dynamic, which makes a balance between professional self-image and the perceived roles teachers
play at work (Coldron & Smith, 1999). Concerning the significance of understanding teachers’
professional identity, Varghese, Morgan, Johnston, and Johnson (2005) believed that
understanding identity is the key to understanding language teaching. As Fogle and Moser (2017)
acknowledged, understanding teacher identities is critical to gain deeper insights of the factors that
affect teachers’ decision-making process, their attitudes, and beliefs. Hence, it may be concluded
that professional identity is an influencing factor in teachers’ motivation, self-efficacy,
commitment, as well as effectiveness. As such, how teachers perceive their professional identity
and what factors contribute to their perceptions is worthy of academic investigation.
Another influential factor in teacher success might be teacher autonomy. According to
Vygotskian model of learning, promoting teacher autonomy is essential to the creation of a learner-
centered environment, which is one the essential prerequisites of a successful language classroom.
In fact, in such a classroom environment, both individual differences and the individual needs of
learners can be addressed which leads teachers to be a successful one (Tort-Moloney, 1997).
There have been a number of studies on the influential role of teacher autonomy in
educational settings (Benson, 2007; Esfandiari & Kamali, 2016; Parker, 2015; Roul, 2002). Smith
(2000) defined teacher autonomy as “the ability to develop appropriate skills, knowledge, and
attitudes for oneself as a teacher in cooperation with others” (p. 89). Later, Aoki (2002) defined
teacher autonomy as “the capacity, freedom, and/or responsibility to make choices concerning
one’s own teaching” (p.111). An autonomous teacher may feel more motivated when s/he can feel
free to choose his/her own teaching materials, which gives him/her the required pleasure and

satisfaction in his/her career (Esfandiari & Kamali, 2016). Moreover, the satisfaction the teacher
gains from his/her job seems to lead him/her to work more efficiently.
Extensive research has been carried out up to now to investigate various cognitive,
affective, and personality characteristics of successful teachers (e.g., Bembenutty, 2007; Chan,
2003; Dev et al., 2016; Ghanizadeh & Moafian, 2011; Khaja, Suryanti, & Wardhono, 2019; Kim,
Jörg, & Klassen, 2019), but the roles of teachers’ professional identity and autonomy have received
scant attention. Moreover, no empirical study has investigated the role of these concepts
simultaneously. Therefore, the present study aims to fill this lacuna by investigating language
teachers’ professional identity and autonomy in order to shed more light on these concepts and
their contribution to the teachers’ success.
Teacher Professional Identity
Teacher identity has gained considerable attention in educational research, and it is a relatively
new subject in recent years. The concept of identity has taken on many meanings in the literature
across a number of perspectives. Gee (2000) defined teacher identity as “an important analytic tool
for understanding schools and society” (p. 99). It is stated that teachers’ identity can be
implemented as a frame through which aspects of teaching can be investigated (Beauchamp &
Thomas, 2009). Despite the fact that defining identity is a difficult task because of its multifaceted
and dynamic nature, there appears to be a consensus that identity is a relational phenomenon that
teachers themselves adopt or assigned to them (Miller, 2009).
The utilization of the term ‘professional’ aids distinguishing between professionals and
non-professionals. Teacher professional identity is the means through which teachers define their
professional characteristics (Lasky, 2005). More recently, Borg (2017) defined teacher
professional identity in terms of the professional roles teachers and others believe they should
fulfill. Teacher professional identity involves a person’s self-concept and identity that originates
from interpreting and reinterpreting his or her professional experience (Pinar, 2012). The
professional identity of teachers is affected by various factors and constructed historically,
contextually, and socially (Barkhuizen, 2016; Hamilton, 2013; Kao & Lin, 2015). In the teaching

context, professional identity relies upon three-pronged factors: (1) skill in one’s range of
specialization; (2) moral integrity; and (3) expertise in pedagogical terms (Carr, 2005).
It is stated that teachers’ professional identity can affect their improvement and execution
(Barrett, 2008; Miller, 2009; Varghese, Morgan, Johnston, & Johnson, 2005). Based on this, some
scholars have investigated teachers’ professional identity in relation to their professional
development and teaching quality (Beauchamp & Thomas, 2009; Labbaf et al. 2019; Mora et al.,
2014; Pennington & Richards, 2016; Xiong & Xiong, 2017). Labbaf et al. (2019), for instance,
have examined the extent to which the teachers’ professional identity factors affect their teaching
quality. To this end, 143 EFL instructors and students contributed in semi-structured interviews,
and subsequently based on the thematic analysis of the interviews, a questionnaire was developed
and completed by participants. Consequently, they have found that teacher professional identity
factors have a considerable effect on teaching quality. The findings would have been more
generalizable if the author had included some language teachers from other countries.
In a similar vein, Mora et al. (2014) examined the interplay among teachers’ professional
development, agency, and identity. Through implementing a case study, they found that teachers’
professional identity and agency play an essential role in teachers’ professional development. As
their study was done qualitatively, any generalization of the findings should be made cautiously.
Teacher Autonomy
In line with the significant role of teacher professional identity, some other significant attributes
lead to teachers’ improvement, such as specialized knowledge, code of professional ethics, and
autonomy (Carr, 2005). Regarding the definition of autonomy, Pitt (2010) suggested that within
European and North American philosophy and contemporary social theory, autonomy is a “vexed,
complex and contradictory concept” (p. 1). It is believed not to be a natural feature of humans, but
something that is learnt and dependent to some extent upon individuals’ intrinsic capabilities
(Reich, 2002).
Hoyle and John (1995) considered autonomy as a crucial matter for education and
suggested it is important to specifically consider the nature of teacher autonomy. In terms of
working towards a definition, Little’s (1995) succinct statement seems a strong starting point:

Teachers may be autonomous in the sense of personal responsibility for their
teaching, exercising via continuous reflection and analysis the highest possible
degree of affective and cognitive control of teaching process, and exploiting the
freedom from that this confers. (p. 179)
Teacher autonomy tends to be defined somewhat differently in language teaching and
broader educational contexts, where it primarily refers to teachers’ freedom. In the language
teaching literature, there is a much greater emphasis on teacher autonomy as a professional
attribute and the link between teacher autonomy and learner autonomy. Early research on
autonomy explored changing teacher roles in new modes of practice, such as self-access.
The concept of teacher autonomy, on the other hand, was related more to classroom
contexts and to the idea that learner autonomy develops through pedagogical dialogues in which
teachers exercise their own autonomy (Little, 1995). Most of the language teaching literature views
teacher autonomy as a professional attribute, involving a capacity for self-directed professional
development (Aoki, 2002; Benson, 2007; Smith & Erdogan, 2008). There is also a reasonable
reluctance to distinguish this attribute from teachers’ ability and willingness to foster autonomy
among their learners. Aoki (2002), for example, suggests that teacher autonomy could be defined
by analogy with learner autonomy:
If learner autonomy is the capacity, freedom, and/or responsibility to make choices
concerning one’s own learning . . . teacher autonomy, by analogy, can be defined
as the capacity, freedom, and/or responsibility to make choices concerning one’s
own teaching. (p. 111)
She considers this analogy problematic; however, because it does not in itself mean that
teacher autonomy has any relevance to teachers’ capacity to support the development of the
autonomy of their learners. In more recent literature, attention has also been paid to teacher
freedom as a component of teacher autonomy. The shift of autonomy to classroom contexts has
raised complex issues concerning the role of teacher as mediator between educational institutions
and students. Teachers’ attempts to promote autonomy in the classroom are typically limited by
factors that are only variably subject to their control (Benson, 2007; Trebbi, 2008; Vieira, 2003).
More recent accounts of teacher autonomy have also tended to balance professional attributes and
teacher freedom, mostly interpreted as the product of self-directed professional development and
a willingness to engage in processes of institutional change beyond the walls of one’s own
educational context (James, 2002; smith, 2000).

In a similar vein, Huang (2005) defined teacher autonomy as “teachers’ willingness
capacity and freedom to take control of their own teaching and learning” (p. 206). The primary
focus of this definition is on individuality. On the other hand, Raya, Lamb, and Vieira (2007)
underscored the social dimension of teacher autonomy. They noted that an autonomous teacher is
able to appear as an independent soul with social responsibility and to see education as
(inter)personal control and social change.
Along with the developments toward the definition of teacher autonomy, several
researchers have examined the probable relations among teacher autonomy and other variables
such as teacher burnout, teacher professional development, job satisfaction, assessment practices,
etc. For example, Varatharaj, Abdullah, and Ismail (2015) investigated the perception of 471
Malaysian trained teachers about teacher autonomy and its effect on their assessment practices.
The results revealed that autonomous teachers have positive assessment practices in the teaching
and learning process. Subsequently, in a 3-year case study of four novice EFL teachers in China,
Xu (2015) studied the joint effect of collaboration and autonomy on teachers’ professional
development. Data analysis of 48 individual interviews, 47 journal entries, and 26 classroom
observation sessions showed a positive interrelationship among collaboration, autonomy, and
professional development.
More recently, Esfandiari and Kamali (2016) investigated the relationship between job
satisfaction, teacher burnout, and teacher autonomy. To this end, three questionnaires were
distributed among two hundred and seven language teachers. The results revealed that job
satisfaction has a weak negative relationship with teacher burnout, and teacher autonomy is
negatively correlated with job satisfaction. However, with a small sample size, caution must be
applied, as the findings might not be transferable to all teachers.
Teacher Success
The concept of teacher success refers to the degree to which a teacher is effective. What makes a
teacher effective has been a subject of prime importance to many scholars concerned with
education (e.g., Bremner, 2019; Brown, 2009; Coombe, 2014, 2020; Elizabeth, May, & Chee,
2008; Liakopoulou, 2011; Pishghadam et al.; Tajeddin & Alemi, 2019). In an investigation of the
characteristics of successful language teachers, Brosh (1996) found the desirable features of a

successful language teacher including having knowledge and command of the target language;
being able to organize, explain, and clarify; and being available to students both in and out of the
classroom. Tamblyn (2000) has also identified seven qualities of successful teachers.
These qualities involve:
 Subject competence and creativity
 Skill in the science and art of motivation through positive reinforcement
 Flexibility in using expertise in modifying the curriculum to fit the students
 Willingness to take risks and make mistakes
 Respect for learners
 Caring, warmth, love and a sense of humor
 Pride in the profession, and a willingness to go the extra mile.
It can be seen that the first three qualities are related to skills and competence in teaching,
while others focus on personality and attitudes.
Subsequently, Coombe (2014) has suggested 10 characteristics of highly effective teachers
including a “Calling” to the profession, professional knowledge, personal qualities, instructional
effectiveness, good communication skills, and so forth. She stated that is in no order of importance
in her top 10 list, except for the first quality. She believed that “Effective teachers are driven and
passionate about what they do and feel a “call” to teach as well as a passion to help students learn
and grow” (p. 2). According to Coombe (2014), “calling” is one of the prerequisites of being a
teacher; without this mission, teaching is just another profession.
Similarly, The American Association of School Administrators (AASA) investigated the
characteristics of effective teachers and categorized them into two parts: (a) management and
instructional techniques and (b) personal characteristics (Elizabeth et al., 2008). Regarding
teachers’ personal characteristics, several researchers have investigated various characteristics
which may lead to teacher success. For instance, Shishavan and Sadeghi (2009), in an attempt to
characterizing effective English language teachers, have found that teachers’ personality is the
most significant predictor of their success (based on students’ viewpoints).
In a similar vein, Kim et al. (2019), in a meta-analysis, have shown that there is a significant
positive relationship between teachers’ personality and their job-related outcomes.

Toussi, Boori, and Ghanizadeh (2011) also investigated the relationship between EFL
teachers’ self-regulation and their effectiveness among 76 EFL teachers in Iran. To assess teachers’
self-regulation, Teacher Self-Regulation Scale (TSRS), designed and validated by Yesim, Sungur,
and Uzuntiryaki (2009), were distributed among them. In order to evaluate teachers’ performance,
the Characteristics of Successful Iranian EFL Teachers Questionnaire (CSTQ), developed by
Moafian and Pishghadam (2009), was given to the learners of those teachers. They have found that
there is a significant relationship between EFL teachers’ self-regulation and their effectiveness.
Although what is being measured about teachers’ effectiveness is based on their students’
perception, not their actual characteristics. In fact, the authors found the role of teachers’ self-
regulation on their perceived success.
Subsequently, Khodabakhshzadeh et al. (2018) examined the role of teachers’ creativity in
their effectiveness. A sample of 325 EFL Iranians’ teachers was randomly chosen and was rated
on the ELT-CS and teaching effectiveness scale. With this aim, validated and reliable scales of
assessing creativity (ELT-CS) of EFL teachers teaching effectiveness scale were implemented.
After analyzing the data, they found that there was a significant relationship between five subscales
of creativity and teacher effectiveness.
Moving beyond the listing of teachers’ personal characteristics, a few studies addressed the
possible venues, such as teacher professional identity and autonomy, as critical factors in effective
teaching. Therefore, the present study aims to fill this gap by investigating language teachers’
professional identity and autonomy in relation to their success.
Research Questions
1. Is there any significant relationship between teachers’ professional identity and autonomy
subscales and teacher success?
2. Do teachers’ professional identity and autonomy significantly predict their success?
Method
Participants
The participants of this study, who were selected as a convenience sample, were English language
teachers with MA, BA, and PhD degrees ranging in years of experience from 5 to 21. The sample

included 66 male (34.7%) and 124 female (65.3%), aged above 22. The respondents were chosen
based on their willingness to take part in the study. The researchers explained the purpose of the
study to the participants and assured them that their responses would be kept confidential and
would be used for academic research purposes.
Instruments
In order to collect data in the present study, three instruments were utilized which are described as
follows:
Teacher Autonomy Questionnaire (TAQ)
To evaluate language teachers’ autonomy, Teacher Autonomy Questionnaire (TAQ) designed by
Pearson and Hall (1993) was employed. It was used to determine the degree of teacher autonomy
and includes 18 items. TAQ is a 5-point Likert type scale, ranging from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to
5 (Strongly Agree). The questionnaire consists of two subscales, namely General Autonomy (items
1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10, 11, 13, 15, 16, 17), and Curriculum Autonomy (items 5, 6, 8, 12, 14, 18).
Cronbach’s alpha of 0.8 for TAQ was reported in Pearson and Moomaw’s (2005) study. The
reliability of the questionnaire in the present study was 0.78.
Teacher Professional Identity Scale (TPIS)
Teacher Professional Identity was measured via Kao and Lin’s (2015) Teacher Professional
Identity (TPIS) scale. This scale uses 22 items to which participants respond on a 5-point Likert
scale ranging from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree). The scale consists of six subscales,
namely Self-Expectation (items 1, 2, 3, 4, 5), Teachers’ Duties (items 6, 7, 8), External Influential
Factors (items 9, 10, 11, 12), Pedagogy (items 13, 14, 15), Instructional Skills and Knowledge
(items 16, 17, 18, 19), and Teachers’ Citizenship Behavior (items 20, 21, 22). The Cronbach’s
alpha reliability of this instrument was estimated to be 0.86 in this study.
Characteristics of Successful Language Teachers Questionnaire (CSLTQ)
Developed by Babai and Sadeghi (2009), the Characteristics of Successful Language Teachers
Questionnaire (CSLTQ) was used to investigate teachers’ perceptions of the characteristics of a

successful language teacher. The CSLTQ comprises eight factors in the form of 46, 5-point Likert-
type items ranging from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree). Participants were asked to
select the choice which best represented their reaction to the statement. The reliability of the
CSLTQ was estimated to be 0.93 in the present study.
Data collection and procedure
In order to gather the required data, the three above-mentioned questionnaires, namely TAQ, TPIS,
and CSLTQ were sent via Email, Telegram, and WhatsApp to 350 English language
professors/teachers teaching at universities, schools, and language institutes in Iran. Out of 350
questionnaires distributed among English language teachers, only 190 questionnaires were
returned.
Data Analysis
In order to check the normality of data distribution, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was employed.
This test is used to check whether the distribution deviates from a comparable normal distribution
(Pallant, 2016). Cronbach’s alpha was also used to check the reliability of the questionnaires. Since
the questionnaires were used and validated in previous studies, validity analyses were not
conducted. To investigate the associations among teachers’ professional identity, autonomy,
success, and their underlying components, Pearson correlation was conducted. Then, to determine
the role of teacher professional identity and autonomy in teacher success, SEM was used through
AMOS software. SPSS 20 was used for data analysis in this study.
Results
To check the normality of data distribution, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was employed. This
test is used to check whether the distribution deviates from a comparable normal distribution. If
the p-value is non-significant (p>.05), it can be argued that the distribution of a sample is not
significantly different from a normal distribution; therefore, it is normal. If the p-value is
significant (p<.05) it implies that the distribution is not normal. Table 1 presents the results of the
Kolmogorov-Smirnov test.
Table 1
The Results of K-S Test

Statistic
df
Sig.
Teacher Success
.07
190
.08
Autonomy
.06
190
.15
Professional Identity
.08
190
.07
As it can be seen in Table 1, the obtained significance value for all the variables is higher
than 0.05. Therefore, it can safely be concluded that the data are normally distributed across all
the variables.
Table 2 displays descriptive statistics of teachers’ success, autonomy, and identity,
including the number of participants, the mean, and the standard deviation.
Table 2
Descriptive Statistics of Teachers’ Success, Autonomy, and Identity
N
Minimum
Maximum
Mean
SD
Teacher Success
190
79.00
230.00
199.26
16.14
Autonomy
190
40.00
90.00
61.43
8.32
Identity
190
59.00
110.00
90.46
9.06
According to the table above, teacher success has the mean score of 199.2, autonomy has
the mean score of 61.4, and identity has the mean score of 90.4.
To examine whether there is any significant relationship between teachers’ professional
identity and autonomy subscales and teachers’ success Pearson Correlation was used.
Table 3
Results of Pearson Correlation between teachers’ Professional Identity and Autonomy Subscales and
Teacher Success
Teacher success
Autonomy
Identity
Teacher Success
Pearson Correlation
1
Sig. (2-tailed)

N
Autonomy
Pearson Correlation
.27**
1
Sig. (2-tailed)
.00
N
190
Professional
Identity
Pearson Correlation
.57**
.39**
1
Sig. (2-tailed)
.00
.00
N
190
190
**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).
It is apparent from Table 3 that there is a positive significant relationship between overall
teacher success and professional identity (r =.57, n =190, p = .000, α= 0.01). Furthermore, it was
revealed that there is a positive significant relationship between teacher success and autonomy (r
=.27, n =190, p = .000, α= 0.01). Finally, it was found that autonomy correlated positively and
significantly with professional identity (r =.39, n =190, p = .000, α= 0.01).
To determine the role of teachers’ professional identity and autonomy in their success,
SEM was used through Amos software. To examine the structural relations, the proposed model
was tested using the Amos 24 statistical package. A number of fit indices were examined to
evaluate the model fit: the chi-square magnitude which should not be significant, Chi-square/df
ratio which should be lower than 2 or 3, the normed fit index (NFI), the good fit index (GFI), and
the comparative fit index (CFI) with the cut value greater than .90, and the Root Mean Square
Error of Approximation (RMSEA) of about .06 or .07 (Kline, 2011). Table 4 presents the Goodness
of fit indices.
Table 4
Goodness of Fit Indices
X2/df
GFI
CFI
NFI
RMSEA
Acceptable fit
<3
>.90
>.90
>.90
<.08
Model
2.85
.91
.93
.90
.05
From the table above, we can see that all the goodness of fit indices are within the
acceptable range. Hence, it can be concluded that the proposed model had an acceptable fit with
the empirical data.

Figure 1 provides the model of interrelationships among teachers’ professional identity,
autonomy, and success.
Figure 1. The model of the interrelationships among interrelationships among teachers’
professional identity, autonomy, and success
To check the strengths of the causal relationships among the components, the standardized
estimates were examined. As indicated in Figure 1, an estimate is displayed on each path. This
standardized estimate is the standardized coefficient or beta coefficients (β) resulting from an
analysis carried out on independent variables that have been standardized. It explains the predictive
power of the independent variable and the effect size. The closer the magnitude to 1.0, the higher
the correlation, and the greater the predictive power of the variable is. As it can be seen in Figure
1, teacher success is predicted positively and significantly by both professional identity (β= .54,
p<0.05) and autonomy (β= .17, p<0.05). Moreover, there is a positive significant correlational path
between professional identity and autonomy (β= .35, p<0.05).

Discussion
This study was an attempt to investigate the associations between teachers’ professional identity,
autonomy and their success, and more specifically, to examine the roles of teachers’ professional
identity and autonomy in success and to determine their predictive power in the success of teachers
as perceived by themselves. Regarding the first research question, the results of correlational
analyses point to a significant and positive correlation between teacher autonomy and teacher
success, on the one hand, and teacher professional identity and teacher success, on the other hand.
The relationship between autonomy and teacher success is unsurprising as an autonomous teacher
may feel more motivated when s/he can feel free to choose his/her own teaching materials, which
gives him/her the needed satisfaction in his/her profession (Esfandiari & Kamali, 2016). The
satisfaction the teacher gains from his/her job seems to lead him/her to teach more effectively.
In addition, based on what smith (2000) has stated, for the teacher to be effective, certain
amount of autonomy should be provided, so that s/he is able to meet the diverse needs of learners.
In fact, as much as the learner requires space, freedom, flexibility, and respect, the teacher also
requires the same. He also argued that educational supervisors and managers whose decisions
affect the classroom environments should hear teachers’ views and ideas. In other words, teachers
and their heads must share a relationship based on equality and mutual respect to create an effective
and positive educational context.
The relationship between professional identity and teacher success may be explained by
the fact that teacher professional identity is a key in understanding teacher success and
effectiveness since it is strongly linked with how teachers view themselves and the roles they are
expected to fulfill (Varghese et al., 2005). Additionally, Cheung (2008) argued that teacher
professional identity is associated with the beliefs and views teachers have about their rights and
responsibilities, which lead them to become more successful.
This finding accords with the assertions made by Fogle and Moser (2017), who stated that
professional identity is an influencing factor on teachers’ commitment, and effectiveness. The
present study, when examining the subscales of professional identity—external influential factors,
self-expectation, pedagogy, teachers’ duties, instructional skills and knowledge, and teachers'
citizenship behavior—revealed a variance in teacher success from the highest to the lowest

degrees, respectively. To put simply, external influential factors play a more significant role in
teachers’ success.
Concerning the second research question, the predictive role of teachers’ professional
identity and autonomy in their success was investigated through SEM analysis. The results showed
that teachers’ success is predicted positively and significantly by their professional identity. In
fact, how teachers construct their professional identities affect their academic success. This is
because teacher professional identity is known to profoundly affect the pedagogical choices and
decisions teachers make in their teaching (Agee, 2004). This result corroborates with Labbaf et al.
(2019) findings, which showed that teachers’ identity predict the effectiveness of their teaching.
Additionally, this finding supports the ideas of Huang and Benson (2013), who found that teachers’
professional identity formation provides a direction for the improvement of their effectiveness. It
is also indirectly in agreement with those of Beijaard et al. (2004), who suggested that teachers’
professional identity is a key factor in their professional development and their attitudes towards
educational changes and policies. Teacher success is also predicted positively and significantly by
teachers’ autonomy. In other words, teachers’ autonomy plays a crucial role in their level of
success as evaluated by themselves (Self-report). One probable line of explanation can be based
on the rationale that effective teachers are those instructors who are autonomous in the sense of
having a strong sense of personal responsibility for their teaching, exercising the highest degree of
affective and cognitive control of the teaching process, and exploring the freedom that this confers
(Little, 1995). This finding is in agreement with Parker’s (2015) findings which showed that
teachers with higher degree of autonomy are more successful in their profession. This also accords
with Roul’s (2002) observations, which demonstrated that the autonomous college teachers are
more effective than the non-autonomous college teachers. The SEM analysis also indicated that
there is a positive significant correlational path between professional identity and autonomy (β=
.35). It shows that in addition to the predictive power of these variables, there are also significant
relationships between them.
Conclusion
The findings of the present study, emphasized by the literature, concluded one major theme:
Teacher success is predicted positively and significantly by teachers’ professional identity and

autonomy. In other words, teachers’ professional identity and autonomy play a crucial role in their
level of success as evaluated by themselves.
The results of this study can be informative and useful for language teachers. As put
forward by Ramos (2006), autonomous teachers who release themselves from constrains, exerted
by administrators or educational systems, and turn these constraints into opportunities for change,
not only can promote the autonomy and achievement of their learners, but also, as revealed by the
findings of the present study, can significantly enhance their effectiveness. Therefore, teachers
are highly recommended to acquire institutional knowledge in order to address constraints on
teaching and learning effectively and to confront institutional barriers and constraints in socially
appropriate ways. However, they should be aware that teacher autonomy does not mean freedom
from all constraints. Furthermore, teachers should constantly interpret and re-interpret their
professional identity in order to become more successful in their profession. The findings of the
study can also have important implications for teacher education programs. They should highlight
the importance of professional identity and autonomy in order to help teachers improve their
effectiveness.
Naturally, all studies have some limitations similar to the present one. A limitation of this
study is that the number of participants was relatively small. Thus, it can be replicated with more
participants to find out whether the same results can be obtained. The next limitation is related to
the context of the present study, which was conducted in Iran. Thus, any generalization of the
findings should be made cautiously. Future research should therefore concentrate on other EFL
contexts to explore any probable changes in the results. Furthermore, the present study was based
on the quantitative data. In future investigations, it might be possible to triangulate the data,
through including some interviews, to obtain findings that are more comprehensive.

References
Agee, J. (2004). Negotiating a teaching identity: An African American teacher’s struggle to teach
in test-driven contexts. Teachers College Record, 106(4), 747-774.
Aoki, N. (2002). Aspects of teacher autonomy: capacity, freedom, and responsibility. Learner
Autonomy, 7(7), 110-124.
Arifani, Y. & Suryanti, S. (2019). The influence of male and female ESP teachers' creativity
toward learners' involvement. International Journal of Instruction, 12(1), 237-250.
Aubrey, J., & Coombe, C. (2010). The TESOL Arabia Conference and its Role in the Professional
Development of Teachers at Institutions of Higher Education in the United Arab
Emirates. Academic Leadership: The Online Journal, 8(3), 53.
Barkhuizen, G. (2016). Understanding language teachers’ sense-making in action through the
prism of future self-guides. In M. Kubanyiova (Ed.), Reflections on language teacher
identity research (pp. 108-114). New York: Routledge.
Barrett, A. M. (2008). Capturing the difference: Primary school teacher identity in
Tanzania. International Journal of Educational Development, 28(5), 496-507.
Beauchamp, C., & Thomas, L. (2009). Understanding teacher identity: An overview of issues in
the literature and implications for teacher education. Cambridge Journal of
Education, 39(2), 175-189.
Beijaard, D., Meijer, P. C., & Verloop, N. (2004). Reconsidering research on teachers’ professional
identity. Teaching and Teacher Education, 20(2), 107-128.

Bembenutty, H. (2007). Teachers' self-efficacy and self-regulation. Academic Exchange
Quarterly, 11(1), 155-162.
Benson, P. (2007). Autonomy in language teaching and learning. Language Teaching, 40(1), 21-
40.
Borg, S. (2017). Twelve tips for doing teacher research. University of Sydney Papers in
TESOL, 12(3), 163-185.
Bremner, N. (2019). What makes an effective English language teacher? The life histories of 13
Mexican university students. English Language Teaching, 13(1), 163-179.
Brosh, H. (1996). Perceived characteristics of the effective language teacher. Foreign Language
Annals, 29(2), 125-136.
Brown, A. V. (2009). Students' and teachers' perceptions of effective foreign language teaching:
A comparison of ideals. The Modern Language Journal, 93(1), 46-60.
Capa‐Aydin, Y., Sungur, S., & Uzuntiryaki, E. (2009). Teacher self‐regulation: Examining a
multidimensional construct. Educational Psychology, 29(3), 345-356.
Carr, D. (2005). Making sense of education: An introduction to the philosophy and theory of
education and teaching. London: Routledge.
Chan, D. W. (2003). Multiple intelligences and perceived self-efficacy among Chinese secondary
school teachers in Hong Kong. Educational Psychology, 23(5), 521-533.
Cheung, H. Y. (2008). Measuring the professional identity of Hong Kong in‐service
teachers. Journal of In
‐
service Education, 34(3), 375-390.

Coldron, J., & Smith, R. (1999). Active location in teachers' construction of their professional
identities. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 31(6), 711-726.
Coombe, C. (2014). 10 characteristics of highly effective EF/SL teachers. Society of Pakistan
English Language Teachers: Quarterly Journal, 28(4), 2-11.
Coombe, C. (2020). Quality education begins with teachers: What are the qualities that make a
TESOL teacher great? In J. D. M. Agudo (Ed.), Quality in TESOL and teacher education
from a results culture towards a quality culture (pp. 171-184). New York, NY & Oxon:
Routledge.
Derakhshan, A., Saeidi, M., & Beheshti, F. (2019). The Interplay between Iranian EFL teachers'
conceptions of intelligence, care, feedback, and students' stroke. IUP Journal of English
Studies, 14(3), 81-98.
Dev, S., Nair, S., & Dwivedi, A. (2016). Emotional intelligence of instructors and the quality of
their instructional performance. International Education Studies, 9(5), 40-47.
Elizabeth, C. L. M., May, C. M. H., & Chee, P. K. (2008). Building a model to define the concept
of teacher success in Hong Kong. Teaching and Teacher Education, 24(3), 623-634.
Elsheikh, A., Coombe, C., & Effiong, O. (Eds.) (2018). The role of language teacher associations
in professional development. Cham: Springer
Esfandiari, R., & Kamali, M. (2016). On the relationship between job satisfaction, teacher burnout,
and teacher autonomy. Iranian Journal of Applied Language Studies, 8(2), 73-98.

Fathi, J., & Derakhshan, A. (2019). Teacher self-efficacy and emotional regulation as predictors
of teaching stress: An investigation of Iranian English language teachers. Teaching
English Language, 13(2), 117-143.
Fogle, L. W., & Moser, K. (2017). Language teacher identities in the Southern United States:
Transforming rural schools. Journal of Language, Identity & Education, 16(2), 65-79.
Gee, J. P. (2000). Chapter 3: Identity as an analytic lens for research in education. Review of
Research in Education, 25(1), 99-125.
Ghanizadeh, A., & Moafian, F. (2011). The relationship between Iranian EFL teachers’ sense of
self-efficacy and their pedagogical success in language institutes. Asian EFL
Journal, 13(2), 249-272.
Ghanizadeh, A., & Ostad, S. A. (2016). The dynamism of teachers’ identity: The case of Iranian
EFL teachers. Sino-US English Teaching, 13(11), 831-841.
Ha, P. L. (2008). Teaching English as an international language: Identity, resistance and
negotiation. Journal of Language, Identity & Education, 10(5), 364-367.
Hamilton, S. E. (2013). Exploring professional identity: The perceptions of chartered accountant
students. The British Accounting Review, 45(1), 37-49.
Hoyle, E., & John, P. (1995). Professional knowledge and professional practice issues in
education. New York, NY: Cassell.
Huang, J. (2005). Teacher autonomy in language learning: A review of the research. Research
Studies in Education, 3(203-18).

Huang, J. P., & Benson, P. (2013). Autonomy agency and identity in foreign and second language
education. Chinese Journal of Applied Linguistics, 36(1), 7-28.
James, C. N. (2002). Exploring and defining teacher autonomy: A collaborative discussion. In A.
Mackenzie & E. McCafferty (Eds.), Developing Autonomy: Proceedings of the JALT CUE
2001 Conference, Shizuoka, Japan (pp. 217-222). Tokyo: JALT.
Kao, Y., & Lin, S. (2015). Constructing a structural model of teachers’ professional identity. Asian
Journal of Management Sciences & Education, 4(1), 69-81.
Khaja, F. N. M., Suryanti, S., & Wardhono, A. (2019). The influence of blended In-service teacher
professional training on EFL teacher creativity and teaching effectiveness. The Southeast
Asian Journal of English Language Studies, 25(3).
Khodabakhshzadeh, H., Hosseinnia, M., Moghadam, H. A. & Ahmadi, F. (2018). EFL teachers'
creativity and their teaching's effectiveness: A structural equation modelling approach.
International Journal of Instruction, 11(1), 227-238.
Khodadady, E. (2012). Emotional intelligence and its relationship with English teaching
effectiveness. Theory & Practice in Language Studies, 2(10), 2061-2072.
Kim, L., Jörg, V., & Klassen, R. M. (2019). A meta-analysis of the effects of teacher personality
on teacher effectiveness and burnout. Educational Psychology Review, 31(1), 163-195.
Labbaf, A., Moinzadeh, A., & Dabaghi, A. (2019). Professional identity and teaching quality: The
case of Iranian EFL teachers. Journal of English Language Teaching and Learning, 11(24),
201-225.

Lasky, S. (2005). A sociocultural approach to understanding teacher identity, agency, and
professional vulnerability in a context of secondary school reform. Teaching and Teacher
Education, 21(8), 899-916.
Liakopoulou, M. (2011). The Professional Competence of Teachers: Which qualities, attitudes,
skills and knowledge contribute to a teacher’s effectiveness. International Journal of
Humanities and Social Science, 1(21), 66-78.
Little, D. (1995). Learning as dialogue: The dependence of learner autonomy on teacher
autonomy. System, 23(2), 175-181.
Miller, J. (2009). Teacher identity. In A. Burns, & J. C. Richards (Eds.), The Cambridge guide to
second language teacher education, (pp. 172-181). UK: Cambridge University Press.
Moafian, F., & Pishghadam, R. (2009). Construct validation of a questionnaire on characteristic
successful Iranian EFL teachers. Pazhuhesh-e Zabanha-ye Kharej, 64(2), 27-36.
Mora, A., Trejo, P., & Roux, R. (2014). English language teachers' professional development and
identities. Profile Issues in Teachers Professional Development, 16(1), 49-62.
Morgan, B. (2004). Teacher identity as pedagogy: Towards a field-internal conceptualization in
bilingual and second language education. International Journal of Bilingual Education and
Bilingualism, 7(2-3), 172-188.
Naqvi, I. H., Iqbal, M., & Akhtar, S. N. (2016). The relationship between emotional intelligence
and performance of secondary school teachers. Bulletin of Education and Research, 38(1),
209-224.

Norton, B., & Toohey, K. (2011). Identity, language learning, and social change. Language
Teaching, 44(4), 412-446.
Parker, G. (2015). Teachers’ autonomy. Research in Education, 93(1), 19-33.
Pavlenko, A. (2003). “I never knew I was a bilingual": Reimagining teacher identities in
TESOL. Journal of Language, Identity, and Education, 2(4), 251-268.
Pearson, L. C., & Hall, B. W. (1993). Initial construct validation of the teaching autonomy
scale. The Journal of Educational Research, 86(3), 172-178.
Pennington, M. C., & Richards, J. C. (2016). Teacher identity in language teaching: Integrating
personal, contextual, and professional factors. RELC Journal, 47(1), 5-23.
Pinar, W. (2012). What is curriculum theory? (2nd Ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
Pishghadam, R., & Moafian, F. (2007). Role of high school teachers’ multiple intelligences in their
teaching success. Foreign Languages Research Quarterly, 42(1), 22-35.
Pishghadam, R., Derakhshan, A., & Zhaleh, K. (2019). The interplay of teacher success,
credibility, and stroke with respect to EFL students’ willingness to attend classes. Polish
Psychological Bulletin, 50(4), 284-292.
Pitt, A. (2010). On having one's chance: Autonomy as education's limit. Educational
Theory, 60(1), 1-18.
Ramos, R. C. (2006). Considerations on the role of teacher autonomy. Colombian Applied
Linguistics Journal, 8(3), 183-202.

Raya, M. J., Lamb, T., & Vieira, F. (2007). Mapping pedagogy for autonomy. In I. Shotlecove, J.
Miliander, & T. Trebbi (Eds.), Pedagogy for autonomy in language education in Europe
(pp. 19-56). Ireland: Authentik Language Learning Resources.
Reich, R. (2002). Opting out of education: Yoder, Mozert, and the autonomy of
children. Educational Theory, 52(4), 445.
Roul, S. K. (2002). A comparative study of teacher effectiveness of autonomous and non-
autonomous college teachers in relation to their mental health, organizational climate, and
students’ achievement (Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation). Kurukshetra University, India.
Shishavan, H. B., & Sadeghi, K. (2009). Characteristics of an effective English language teacher
as perceived by Iranian teachers and learners of English. English Language Teaching, 2(4),
130-143.
Smith, R. (2000). Starting with ourselves: Teacher-learner autonomy in language learning. In B.
Sinclair, I. McGrath, & T. Lamb (Eds.), Learner autonomy, teacher autonomy: Future
directions (pp. 89-138). Harlow: Longman.
Smith, R., & Erdogan, s. (2008). Teacher-learner autonomy: Programme goals and student-teacher
constructs. In T. Lamb, & H. Reinders (Eds.), Learner and teacher autonomy: concepts,
realities, and responses (pp. 83-102). Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company.
Tajeddin, Z., & Alemi, M. (2019). Effective language teachers as persons: Exploring pre-service
and in-Service teachers' beliefs. TESL-EJ, 22(4), 1-25.

Tamblyn, P. (2000). Qualities of success: Lessons from a teaching career. Education
Canada, 40(1), 16-19.
Tort-Moloney, D. (1997). Teacher autonomy: A Vygotskian theoretical framework. Centre for
Language and Communication Studies, 48(2), 1-54.
Toussi, M. T. M., Boori, A. A., & Ghanizadeh, A. (2011). The Role of EFL Teachers' Self-
Regulation in Effective Teaching. World Journal of Education, 1(2), 39-48.
Trebbi, T. (2008). Freedom–a prerequisite for learner autonomy? Classroom innovation and
language teacher education. In T. Lamb, & H. Reinders (Eds.), Learner and teacher
autonomy: concepts, realities, and responses (pp. 33-46). Amsterdam: John Benjamins
Publishing Company.
Varatharaj, R., Abdullah, A. G. K., & Ismail, A. (2015). The effect of teacher autonomy on
assessment practices among Malaysian cluster schoolteachers. International Journal of
Asian Social Science, 5(1), 31-36.
Varghese, M., Morgan, B., Johnston, B., & Johnson, K. A. (2005). Theorizing language teacher
identity: Three perspectives and beyond. Journal of Language, Identity, and
Education, 4(1), 21-44.
Vieira, F. (2003). Addressing constraints on autonomy in school contexts: Lessons from working
with teachers. In D. Palfreyman, & R. C. Smith (Eds.), Learner autonomy across cultures
(pp. 220-239). London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Xiong, T., & Xiong, X. (2017). The EFL teachers’ perceptions of teacher identity: A survey of
“Zhuangang” and “Non-Zhuangang”primary school teachers in China. English Language
Teaching, 10(4), 100-110.
Xu, H. (2015). The development of teacher autonomy in collaborative lesson preparation: A
multiple-case study of EFL teachers in China. System, 52(9), 139-148.