Professional identity of a foreign language teacher in a multicultural classroom: from disorientation to axiological certainty

Introduction. The internationalisation of higher education in Russia has resulted in a consistent increase in multicultural cohorts within universities. This development has significantly altered the working conditions for teachers of foreign languages and Russian as a foreign language. Nevertheless, the role of the teacher has remained marginal in scholarly inquiry, and the transformation of their professional identity in response to engagement with cultural diversity has been inadequately explored. Aim. The present study aims to elucidate the process of professional identity formation among foreign language teachers within multicultural groups by analysing disorienting events, perceptions of fairness, language policies, and self-definitions in the role of mediator. Methodology and research methods. The methodological foundation of this study is a synthesis of J. Mezirow’s concept of transformative learning and the processual approach to professional identity. The empirical research was conducted within the qualitative paradigm. The primary data collection method comprised semi-structured interviews with 87 teachers from five Russian universities. Results. The findings facilitated the identification of a typology of disorienting events, alongside strategies of fairness characterised by equality and equity. Moreover, various types of language policy were delineated, including monolingualism, pragmatic multilingualism, and translanguaging, as well as forms of professional self-definition, such as the rejection of the mediator role, its acceptance, and the emergence of a hybrid identity. A five-phase model of identity transformation, progressing from a technical to an expert axiological stage, was also elucidated. Furthermore, factors within the institutional context were identified that either facilitate or impede the effective processing of dissonance. Scientific novelty. The scientific novelty of this study lies in the integration of international concepts of transformative learning, translanguaging, and culturally relevant pedagogy with the Russian tradition of pedagogical axiology and institutional analysis. In addition, a processual model of teacher identity within a multicultural environment is developed and rigorously substantiated. Prac tical significance. The practical significance of the study resides in the development of recommendations designed to support teachers through the various stages of identity transformation. These recommendations include creating opportunities for collegial reflection, mentoring, and the formal institutional recognition of the role of the intercultural mediator.