Researching Identity in Language and Education

Abstract

This chapter reviews and synthesizes the most applicable, useful, and practical methods and tools in researching identity in language and education. To this aim, this chapter starts with an introduction to the field of identity in language and education followed by early developments and major contributions. As the main focus of this chapter, the major methods, approaches, and tools to researching identity in language and education are then presented. Narrative inquiry, ethnography, interviewing, questionnaire, and diary keeping as the main methods of data collection are introduced. In each method presented, a few sample studies with their results are also provided. The strengths and shortcomings of each of these methods in researching identity are included in each section. In the last section of this chapter, some works in progress and future directions for research are given.