“I don’t want to colonise, but where to draw a line?” - My professional identity transformation.

Описание: Final presentation at IX COPE (Colóquio de pesquisa de professores de inglês em formação inicial).

Title: “I DON'T WANT TO COLONISE, BUT WHERE TO DRAW A LINE?”: a professional identity transformation in teaching English to Indigenous students while co-teaching.

Advisor: Professor Pedro Américo Rodrigues Santana

Abstract: This paper explores the experiences of an English language teacher working in a co-teaching context with an Indigenous educator, focusing on the challenges and growth that emerged throughout the course of a teaching semester. The research is situated within a broader socio-cultural context that acknowledges the importance of Indigenous perspectives in education, particularly in the teaching of English as a foreign language. It aims to reflect on the way a white, Brazilian teacher of English adapted her approach to co-teaching English in a counter-colonial (Santos, 2015; 2023) manner, avoiding the reinforcement of colonial dynamics. The methodology used in this study is grounded in Critical Qualitative Inquiry (Denzin, 2017) and employed a Narrative Inquiry (Hickson, 2016) framework as its research type, with data drawn from a teaching journal kept throughout the semester. The analysis was guided by a framework inspired by Delphine’s (2023) analytical narrative, focusing on self-reflection, informed by counter-colonial pedagogy (Santos, 2015; 2023), and critical questioning of existing pedagogical beliefs, with an emphasis on the dynamic evolution of the (co)teaching relationship and its impact on both teacher and student motivation. Results reveal a significant transformation in the professional identity of the teacher, driven by a growing sense of collaboration, mutual respect, and the recognition of the identities and needs of the co-teacher and the students. The process of co-teaching facilitated not only personal and professional growth but also reinforced the importance of creating an inclusive and equitable classroom environment. The implications of this research extend to the broader field of language education, suggesting that collaborative teaching, anchored in cultural awareness and counter-colonial (Santos, 2015; 2023) frameworks, can foster more meaningful and empowering learning experiences for both educators and students.

Keywords: co-teaching; Indigenous education; counter-colonial pedagogy; reflective practice; language teaching