Teacher professional identity and the nature of technology integration

Abstract Professional identity shapes teachers' sense making of how to understand and behave in their teaching work, and thus may play a significant role in determining how teachers position and appropriate technology in the teaching process. However, how different aspects of teacher professional identity might influence teachers' approaches to technology integration is not well understood. SEM analysis of the survey responses of 280 English language teachers in mainland China on three aspects of professional identity and their use of technology in language instruction revealed that teachers' educator identity orientation towards educational goals, didactic and pedagogical identity orientation towards professional knowledge base and learner-centered orientation towards instruction were significant determinants of teachers' use of technology for content delivery, for learning enrichment and for learning transformation. Moreover, different types of technology use were influenced differently by professional identity. The findings advocate greater attention to these professional identity orientations when examining and supporting teachers’ technology integration.