Legitimising teacher identity: Investment and agency from an ecological perspective

International higher-education systems position teachers in ways that require an ecological perspective to understand the complexities of identity formation. Accordingly, we apply a model of legitimisation that combines Positioning Theory and Bourdieu's analogy of capitals, means/codes, and marketplaces to investigate the roles, identities, and investments of six university teachers in Thailand. Findings from indepth interviews show that our participants navigate the complexity and fluidity of their positions through a view of identity that puts holistic learning above content or language-related goals. Moreover, despite positioning themselves as individuals, their discourses reflect a common goal for ethical self formation driven by emotion labour. (c) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.