Exploring Chinese pre-service English teachers’ imagined identity formation through individual networks of practice

Abstract

Drawing on the concepts of individual network of practice (INoP) and imagined identity, this study explored the trajectories of two Chinese pre-service English teachers’ professional identity formation through their active participation in social interactions and practices. Data were collected using INoP maps, living graphs, and semi-structured interviews to retrospectively examine participants’ imagined professional identity trajectories. Thematic analysis of visual and textual data revealed that INoP played a crucial role in shaping these teachers’ imagined professional identities by providing various academic and emotional supports related to English language teaching. Additionally, their emerging identities could influence the (re)construction of their INoP through intentional development of specific social relationships. These reciprocal processes demonstrated how pre-service teachers’ imagined professional identities are dynamically negotiated within evolving social networks across different learning contexts. The study also highlights the methodological utility of a network approach in tracing changes in social relationships and underscores the potential of living graphs as a visual tool for illustrating shifts in pre-service teachers’ imagined professional identities over time. It contributes to English teacher education by emphasizing the role of social networks in supporting identity development and offers practical implications for designing English Language Teaching programs within the Chinese educational context.