Becoming-With Teachers: An Auto-Theoretical Reading of Reflective Texts

Authors

Le Thanh Thao, Can Tho UniversityFollow
Pham Trut Thuy, Nam Can Tho UniversityFollow

Abstract

This article reimagines teacher reflection not as data to be analyzed, but as a relational and affective space to be inhabited. Drawing on the principles of auto-theory and post-qualitative inquiry, we approach a familiar dataset of Vietnamese English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher reflection through a method of writing-with, responding not through interpretation, but through resonance, hesitation, and companionship. Rather than coding or categorizing the texts, we lingered with their silences, rhythms, and rhetorical composure. What emerged was not a framework but a cartography: a radial constellation of five interwoven stances, including permission, composure, relational imprint, echoing, and unknowing. These orientations are not analytic tools, but ethical postures that open space for what teacher reflection can become when read otherwise. We offer this work not as a model to replicate, but as an invitation to read slowly, vulnerably, and in dialogue with what remains unsaid.

Keywords

auto-theory, post-qualitative inquiry, reflective writing, teacher education, writing-with

Author Bio(s)

Le Thanh Thao (OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8471-8305) pursuing his Ph.D. studies at KU Leuven. In his home institution, Can Tho University, he is responsible for teaching language skills. Thao is very interested in classroom-based research and educational change-related issues. Please direct correspondence to lethanhthao110294@gmail.com/ thaole@ctu.edu.vn/ thanhthao.le@kuleuven.be

Pham Trut Thuy (OrcID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-6596-2686) is a lecturer at Nam Can Tho University, where she primarily teaches courses on language skills, translation, and interpretation. Her research interests focus on teacher professional development.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the reflective teachers who generously shared their work, allowing us to respond, engage, and become with their insights. Their openness and thoughtfulness were foundational to this inquiry.

Publication Date

9-30-2025

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2025.8328

Recommended APA Citation

Thao, L. T., & Thuy, P. T. (2025). Becoming-with teachers: An auto-theoretical reading of reflective texts. The Qualitative Report, 30(9), 4371-4383. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2025.8328