Investigating Inservice English Teachers' Educational Complexity and Professional Development: Learning Practices for Metacognitive Awareness and Technology

Abstract

This study investigates the educational complexity experienced by inservice English teachers in Iran and examines how metacognitive awareness and digital literacy contribute to their professional development and their capacity to support EFL learners effectively. The study is grounded in the view that English teachers work within a demanding educational environment shaped by institutional regulations, policy expectations, examination pressure, sociocultural demands, and learner diversity. A qualitative research design was employed to gain an in depth understanding of teachers’ lived experiences and professional practices. The participants were 13 certified inservice English teachers with more than six years of teaching experience, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through semi structured interviews and classroom observations, then analyzed using the interactive qualitative model of data condensation, data display, and conclusion drawing and verification. The findings reveal that educational complexity shapes teacher development as a process of continuous negotiation rather than a simple mastery of instructional techniques. Teachers’ professional growth was influenced by tensions between policy and classroom realities, identity work, emotional labor, and the need for context-sensitive professional development. The study also found that metacognitive awareness strengthens teachers’ ability to plan, monitor, evaluate, and reflect on their instruction, while digital literacy expands their ability to create more authentic, engaging, and technology-enhanced learning opportunities. Most importantly, the findings show that metacognitive awareness and digital literacy operate most effectively in synergy, enabling teachers to use technology in reflective and pedagogically meaningful ways. The study implies that professional development programs in Iran should adopt a more holistic approach that integrates reflection, agency, emotional resilience, and digital competence.