1.

 The originality of the theme  

The nature and role of teacher identity for language teachers is an aspect of the strong
current interest in the nature of teacher professional identity, but longitudinal studies of the
development of language teacher identity is relatively less researched, hence the present
thesis is a welcome addition to our understanding of teacher identity and one of the few that
I am aware of that deal with teachers in the Asian context.

2. Knowledge contribution
The thesis builds on and further develops the considerable knowledge base that has been
developed by researchers elsewhere.   The focus on the nature and impact of teachers’
beliefs, emotions, imagined identity, investing, sociocultural environment and agency adds a
great deal of new knowledge to our understanding of how teachers’ professional identity
impacts their practices. It also provides excellent examples of the importance of case study
research and the methodology of carrying out such research. Hence it provides a model of
good research practice that can be applied by other researchers.
 
3. Theoretical foundation      
The thesis reflects a thorough understanding of relevant research and conceptual paradigms
and approaches from different disciplines including, philosophy, psychology, education,
linguistics as well as socio-cultural and post-structural perspectives. He gives a lucid and
critical account of different theoretical approaches and builds the thesis around a solid
theoretical foundation. The thesis addresses appropriate research questions that provide the
basis for the data collection.

4. Methodological rigour and strength

The researcher has chosen narrative inquiry and a mixed-methods approach as the
methodology supporting the collection of data and the analysis and demonstrated the value
of this approach. The context for each case study is described in detail as well as the
techniques he made use of to encourage the four participants to tell their stories and to
respond to the questions they were asked to reflect on. The interpretations of the teachers’
responses are fully supported by the fascinating examples provided, and quality standards
are built in to the data analysis to ensure credibility of the interpretation.

5. Language and presentation

The thesis was delight to read, written with a compelling and personal style with relevant
references to the researcher’s life and educational experiences. Effective signposting
throughout provides the reader with a clear understanding of the content and organization
of each chapter. Concepts and terminology used through the thesis are clearly defined and
explained.
   
6. Substantiation and referencing
The thesis is built around a solid data base and a wide range of relevant and up-to-date
sources are cited, with appropriate referencing. Interpretations, inference and conclusions
based on the examples cited.

RECOMMENDATION
This thesis meets the requirements of doctoral research and is an excellent example of what
a quality Ph.D dissertation should reflect, namely a thorough review and analysis of the
literature, well-developed research questions that address important issues in the local
context, sound research methodology, convincing analysis of the data, and a well-written
document that provides a fascinating account of the background to the research, the
research process, and the researcher’s interpretation of the information collected.

I am therefor happy to recommend the award of the Ph.D.