Where gender and English language teacher identity intersect: narratives of two ukrainian teachers

Abstract

Using intersectionality theory that focuses on the interactions of multiple identities, the proposed study explores narratives of one male and one female in-service English language teachers in the Ukrainian context. The purpose of the study is to investigate teachers’ journeys in constructing, performing, and negotiating multidimensional identities at various workplaces with gender performativity being a significant factor of the participants’ identity formation. Employing a narrative inquiry approach, using online autobiographies, interviews, and lesson materials, John and Irene’s3 multiple identities have intertwined with gendered identity performance and performativity and have shaped their experiences from a) becoming English language teachers, b) to establishing as professionals.