Speaker
Description
This study explores how language policy-driven professional development (PD) programs shape the agency of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) school teachers in Vietnam, focusing on the Mekong Delta. While PD is widely used to implement national language policies, its impact on teacher agency remains underexplored, particularly in under-resourced and contextually diverse educational settings. Guided by the ecological model of teacher agency, this explanatory sequential mixed-methods study surveyed 312 EFL school teachers and conducted in-depth interviews with six purposefully selected participants. Quantitative findings revealed high levels of perceived agency across iterational, practical-evaluative, and projective dimensions. Qualitative insights highlighted contextual differences: rural teachers demonstrated adaptability amid limited resources, whereas urban teachers integrated PD content using technology-enhanced practices. Novice teachers were more likely to adopt policy-driven methods directly, while experienced teachers critically filtered and adapted them. The study identifies three dynamic sources of agency: (1) professional histories and beliefs (iterational), which influenced teachers' interpretation of PD; (2) situated reasoning and moral commitment in addressing institutional constraints (practical-evaluative); and (3) aspirations for student empowerment and professional growth (projective). These sources interacted dynamically, enabling teachers to enact agency in pedagogically meaningful and context-sensitive ways. The study proposes an emergent framework that reconceptualizes teacher agency as a cyclical and adaptive process shaped by personal, institutional, and policy-driven forces. This framework contributes to understanding teacher agency in centralized education systems, and a key implication is the need for PD programs that are flexible, reflective, and responsive to teachers’ professional identities and local realities.
Biography
Phan Tuyết Cương is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in TESOL at the School of Foreign Languages, Can Tho University, Vietnam. Her research interests include teacher agency, continuing professional development (CPD), pedagogical innovation, and technology integration in English language teaching. She is currently concerned with how educational reforms and top-down policies affect teachers working in under-resourced and disadvantaged regions.
Since March 2021, she has participated as a student researcher in the Living Delta Project, a UK-funded international research initiative investigating community adaptation to environmental change in delta regions. Through this project, she completed over 20 hours of training on qualitative research methods delivered by professors from Newcastle University and Northumbria University. The training focused on effective interviewing, neutrality, and ethical research practices. Following this, she independently conducted fieldwork and qualitative data collection in local communities.
In 2022, she authored a study titled EFL Students’ Perceptions of Online English Language Learning at An Giang University During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Opportunities and Challenges, which was presented at the CALL2022 conference. This research explored students’ experiences during the shift to online learning and highlighted implications for both learners and educators in digital environments.
Her current MA research investigates how policy-driven professional development programs shape the agency of EFL teachers in rural and mountainous areas of the Mekong Delta. Framed by ecological agency and positioning theory, her study provides insights into how teachers interpret, negotiate, and respond to state-mandated initiatives within their unique local contexts. Through this work, she aims to contribute to more context-responsive and sustainable approaches to teacher development in Vietnam.
