ABSTRACT
The global pandemic profoundly affected education worldwide and took emotional tolls on learners and teachers. A better understanding of early-career language teachers’ feelings and their perceived need for support during this confusing time requires additional analysis. Therefore, this study investigates how an early-career language teacher responded to the pandemic during her first year of teaching through her emotions, professional identity development, and behavioural patterns. The study employs a mixed-method approach—a case study, through the lens of the complex dynamic systems theory, and the idiodynamic method to permit a comprehensive understanding of the relevant phenomena. Findings suggest that emphasizing emotion in language teaching and encouraging professional identity development could help early-career teachers respond to pandemic-related challenges. These results have implications for policymakers and teachers and contribute to research regarding the effects of pandemics on teacher education.
