A Journey of Discovery: Unraveling Chinese Qingjiao ’s (Earlier Career University Teachers’) Professional Agency for Learning to Negotiate Identity Tensions

ABSTRACT Given the urgent need to explore earlier career language teachers’ identity tensions and the insufficient studies on teachers’ professional agency for learning underpinned by a learning framework, this autoethnographic study reports the identity tensions experienced by a Chinese Qingjiao (an earlier career university teacher), and her professional agency for learning to negotiate her identity tensions. Multiple sources of data, including the participant's self narratives, critical incident reflections, author meetings, and documents were collected. Drawing on the theoretical framework of dimensions of learning, the data were subjected to thematic analysis. The findings reveal that: (1) the participant mobilizes concrete problem‐solving strategies to enhance her academic literacy, implement pedagogical innovations, and achieve work‐life balance; (2) the participant provides and directs the mental energy necessary for the learning processes to occur; and (3) the participant actively interacts with the social, and the material environment to seek external support. This study generates insights by complementing extant scholarship on teacher identity tensions and further illustrating how an earlier career university teacher enacts her professional agency for learning to achieve professional advancement.