An Integrated Perspective on a Second Language Writing Teacher’s Professional Growth: A Cross-Contextual, Career-Stage Analysis

This qualitative case study explores how a transnational second language writing teacher (Author 2) developed adaptive expertise across three career stages, early career in China, mid-career in the United States, and later career back in China as an experienced second language writing teacher, through the dynamic interplay of identity, agency, and emotion. Data from reflection journals and semi-structured interviews were analyzed using a framework grounded in four constructs: identity, agency, emotion, and adaptive expertise. Findings reveal that negative emotions (e.g., anxiety, disillusionment) initially constrained agency and solidified a novice identity, whereas later emotions (e.g., resilience) became catalysts for proactive adaptation. Identity evolution guided agency, shifting from defensive (survival-focused) to proactive (innovation-focused), and agentic actions (e.g., curriculum redesign, collaboration) refined identity and built adaptive expertise. The study proposes the Adaptive Expertise Ecology model, framing the four constructs as an interdependent system shaped by context. Implications for second-language writing teacher education include integrating emotional resilience training and identity exploration to support transnational second language writing teachers’ growth from survival to thriving.