Ana dilleri İngilizce olmayan İngilizce öğretmenlerinin ana dilleri olan Türkçe'yi öğretirken kimliklerinin yeniden şekillenmesi

This study aimed to investigate how the changing role from a nonnative English teacher to a native Turkish teacher affects teachers' identity construction in terms of self-image, self-efficacy, and beliefs about teaching and learning. In this respect, the study explored the experiences of five nonnative English teachers who went to the USA on a prestigious scholarship for one year to teach their native language, Turkish, as native teachers. The data were collected mainly through three different instruments: a personal data questionnaire, ongoing controlled journals along with follow-up questions, and interviews. All the qualitative data were analyzed according to Boyatzis' (1998) thematic analysis. Initially, each participant's data were examined on paper copies to discover the themes that naturally emerged. After that, the emerging themes in the initial analysis were color-coded and related to three sensitizing concepts, which were a) self-image b) self-efficacy c) beliefs about teaching and learning. The findings of this study revealed that a) being a native teacher contributed to the participants' self-images, b) being trained in ELT and being experienced in teaching English were more influential in the participants' perceptions of their teaching abilities, c) being a native speaker and knowing a language were not enough to be able to teach a language, d) knowing how to teach a language could also facilitate teaching another language, and e) students, colleagues, and the socialization process had effect on teachers' identity. The changes in their self-image, self-efficacy and beliefs about teaching and learning indicated the identity reconstruction of nonnative English teachers who shifted their roles to native Turkish teachers. Considering these results, this study supported the existing literature in that a) teacher identity is multiple and has a shifting nature, and b) teacher identity is in conflict and flux. It was also concluded that the way the participants were raised as English teachers shape their identities, and the participants' identities are more rooted in English language teaching because of being trained in that. Key words: teacher identity, self-image, self-efficacy, beliefs about teaching and learning, nonnative English speaking teachers, native Turkish teachers.