Identity and Practice: A Collaborative Autoethnography of Two Transnational Teacher Educators of Color

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 11:45 am - Gold 1
  In Roundtable Session: The Work of Becoming: Growth, Identity, and Professional Fulfillment in Education

Abstract

This collaborative autoethnographic study explores the identity formation and teaching-research practices of two transnational teacher educators of color in U.S. higher education. Both authors, originally from China and trained across multiple educational systems, examine how their cultural and linguistic backgrounds shape their development as faculty members. Using self-narratives and reflexive dialogues, we critically reflect on our intersecting identities, professional trajectories, and internal negotiations with race, self-worth, and academic expectations. Grounded in Critical Race Theory, Intersectionality, Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Pedagogy, and Transformative Learning, this study contributes to understanding how transnational faculty of color navigate teacher education, highlighting tensions, agency, and growth. Our findings speak to broader questions of identity, equity, and sustainability in teacher education.

Authors

• David D. Yang, Western Washington University

• Meilan Jin, Western Washington University