A Multiple Case Study on the Role Perceptions of English as a Foreign Language Teachers at Japanese Universities

This paper is part of a larger study that explores the subjective perceptions of professional roles by university English teachers in Japan and identifies factors that contribute to the formation and development of such role perceptions. The roles that teachers believe they fulfill and are expected to fulfill are the fundamental concept for being a teacher (Farrell, 2011). These roles are related to teacher cognition—which can be summarized as “what language teachers think, know, and believe” (Borg, 2006, p. 1)—and they regulate teachers’ classroom practices. The complex mental activities of language teachers have been investigated mostly in secondary school settings, while the cognition of English teachers at Japanese universities remains unexplored. This qualitative study aims to fill this gap, detailing a multiple case study in which three experienced university English teachers participated. The interview data reveals how their initial role identities were constructed and transformed over the course of their careers. The authors discuss role perceptions in relation to various issues, including prior learning experience and teacher education programs, such as pre-service teacher training and professional development