SELF-INITIATED DIMENSION OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS' PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: A NARRATIVE INQUIRY

Abstract

This thesis presents analytical insights on the self-initiated dimension of professional development through ākhyāna analysis of the lived experiences of four English teachers. The experiences include the early phases of life and its conditions on education, leading to English education and the teaching profession. It highlights the socio-cognitive conjectures on their personal growth attributed to their professional identities. The exploration further includes the investigation of narratives for the key themes of the English teachers' professional development. They connect to the personal to professional consciousness through the academic journey to professional engagements. It has been their contextual representation and different trajectories of professional growth. I have connected their professional development through teacher education, training, project engagements, and devotional practices under multiple thematic codes. The context and strategic values of self-initiated professional growth are addressed in three primary sections of this thesis. The first segment delves into personal and academic undertakings in which English teachers establish the groundwork for their professional journey by enhancing personal/professional consciousness and desire in the context of sociocultural and sociocognitive realities. The second segment depicts various professional engagements such as an initial teaching practice, pedagogical courses, training, project engagements, and devotional and emotional regulation for professional behaviour. The final component of the thesis focuses on critical debates on teacher narratives to uncover the most effective self-initiated professional development endeavours. Finally, knowledge constructions on three tiers of professional progress are presented as indriyas, buddhi, and aatma, representing perceptual growth, dynamic engagements, and performative strengths, respectively. The prataksha/anumana paradigm is used in the interpretive discussion of the purposive participants' narrative. The tarka paradigm is used in the narrative inquiry with the reputational/expert participants and the researcher's critical viewpoints. The investigation explores and concludes the narratives with crucial issues and thematic codes as a stroying process. It then moves on to a thematic discussion for subjective stroying and presents critical viewpoints as a process of ideological storying. As a narrative inquiry, the research incorporates the eastern feature of the ākhyāna analysis. While unfolding the dimension of self-initiated professional development, the different impacting conjectures of continuing professional growth nurture my awareness as a researcher. The initial focus of this research is to recognise and incorporate the instructors' sociocultural reality as their representational essence in the workplace. The second issue is to project and amplify language learning resources to provide teachers with local, national, and international languages so that their professional development through language efficiency can be self-directed. The third point of concern is teacher education and training, which has the potential to impart collaborative and accountable ideals in courses and practices by validating teachers' lived experiences as a source of knowledge. As the foundation of self-initiated professional growth, they could incorporate self-regulatory, socio-cognitive, and self directed learning behaviour. Finally, the concern is related to performative strength with project and research integration and emotional regulating behaviour based on Bhaktismritisindhu and Bharat Muni's Natyashastra as the major eastern-influenced philosophical conceptions. In this way, the research follows an organic pattern of delving into professional development difficulties through the experiences of English teachers