Being and remaining a teacher: exploring language teacher agency in a neo-nationalist context

Purpose This study aims to explore how two Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers exercise agency within a neo-nationalist educational context that imposes ideological and cultural constraints on English language instruction. Drawing on the Douglas Fir Group’s (DFG) transdisciplinary framework and positioning theory, the paper investigates how teachers navigate macro- and meso-level policies while enacting agentive practices in their classrooms. By analyzing narratives across three stages of their professional journeys, the study highlights how educators negotiate identity, resist restrictive policies and promote pedagogical autonomy. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative case study employs a narrative inquiry approach, using “restorying cycles” to collect data from two Iranian EFL teachers across three key stages: before, during and after their Master’s in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages program. Data sources include reflective journals and in-depth semi-structured interviews. Analysis was guided by positioning theory and the DFG transdisciplinary framework, allowing for a multi-level examination of teacher agency within sociopolitical constraints. Open coding and constant comparative methods were used to identify emergent themes. Member checking and peer examination ensured trustworthiness and credibility throughout the data collection and analysis process. Findings Findings reveal two distinct forms of agency: critical agency, involving reflective resistance to dominant policies and pragmatic agency, focused on adapting pedagogy within constraints. Both teachers navigated neo-nationalist and institutional pressures by prioritizing student well-being, linguistic growth and sociocultural awareness. While one teacher exercised broader sociopolitical critique, the other focused on pedagogical flexibility and learner-centered strategies. The study shows that language teacher agency (LTAG) is shaped by policy environments, personal convictions and institutional cultures. Teacher education played a pivotal role in fostering awareness and agency, enabling participants to respond to ideological constraints with professionalism, care and context-sensitive judgment. Originality/value This study offers a rare longitudinal perspective on LTAG in a neo-nationalist context, highlighting how sociopolitical constraints shape professional identity and classroom practice. Combining the DFG transdisciplinary framework with positioning theory advances a multi-level understanding of agency as both personal and political. Restorying cycles provide a nuanced account of teacher development over time. This work contributes original insights into how EFL teachers in restrictive environments enact agency, resist ideological control, and foster learner growth, offering valuable implications for teacher education, policy and critical pedagogy in global English language teaching contexts.