A Possible Selves Theory Perspective on EFL Teacher Vision and Motivation

ABSTRACT Recent studies in language teacher education have highlighted a number of elements influencing teacher motivation. Vision is one such relatively new concept, the link between which and language teacher motivation has not received due research attention. The present mixed‐methods study was conducted to examine the relationship between language teacher vision and motivation from the perspective of Possible Selves Theory in the two contexts of public schools and private language centers in Iran. Another aim of the study was to explore obstacles in the route of vision formation. An e‐questionnaire was used to find out the possible relationship between language teachers' vision and motivation ( N = 157). Next, 14 teachers took part in a follow‐up interview to identify the factors boosting or hindering EFL teacher vision formation. Statistical analysis indicated a strong positive relationship between motivation and vision. However, differences were observed in the ways teachers perceive vision in public schools as opposed to their counterparts in private language centers, with teachers in the latter group exhibiting improved levels of vision. Although challenges of forming a fully functioning vision were different in the two contexts, they also shared some commonalities. Moreover, interviewees identified role modeling as a significant strategy for cultivating a personal vision, a finding that is discussed in detail within this paper.