This chapter per the author examines the role of reflexivity in language education as a critical lens for understanding how identity, power, and positionality shape teaching and learning. Drawing on poststructuralism, critical applied linguistics, and sociolinguistics, it explores identity as socially constructed and fluid, mediated by discourse and institutional contexts. The discussion highlights how teachers’ and learners’ identities are negotiated through linguistic capital, multilingualism, and the politics of belonging. It also addresses power asymmetries, language ideologies, and the potential of reflexive praxis to foster equity, agency, and social justice in classrooms. Methodological considerations, including autoethnography, narrative inquiry, and positional mapping, are examined alongside ethical concerns in identity research. The chapter concludes with implications for reflexive pedagogies that affirm diverse identities and promote transformative educational practices.
Oyewole, O. O. (2026). Reflexivity and Identity Negotiation in Language Education: Unpacking Positionality, Practice, and Power. In A. Elhami & A. Roshan (Eds.), Exploring Identity Formation in Language Education: Personal Narratives and Educational Research (pp. 283-328). IGI Global Scientific Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3373-5423-1.ch010