Language Teacher Agency for Change and Development In a Vietnamese Tertiary Setting: An Integrative Cultural-Historical Perspective

Drawing on an integrative theoretical framework involving cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) and Vygotsky's perezhivanie concept, this study examined how three Vietnamese English language teachers navigated teaching-related tensions. Findings revealed tensions related to language teaching pedagogy, assessment, classroom management and collegial mentoring/feedback practices. These tensions were commonly experienced with negative emotions but interpreted differently among the educators, thereby informing their subsequent actions. Agency was dynamically influenced by personal qualities (e.g., pedagogical content knowledge, social-emotional skills), and relational and contextual factors. Implications for teacher development and educational change are discussed.