The Iranian EFL Teachers' Perfectionism and Their Professional Identity

Research about teachers' perfectionism and professional identity can help policymakers to improve the educational system and the teachers to be more effective in their occupation. This study aimed to observe and evaluate the interrelationship between EFL teachers' professional identity and their perfectionism to know how the two variables are important from teachers' point of view. The present research was a quantitative study using a survey to explore the teachers' attitudes toward perfectionism and professional identity and to investigate the relationship between the two variables. The population of the study comprised of 55 EFL teachers, with an age range of 24 to 47, of both genders whose native language was Persian. The findings showed that the teachers thought they were perfect in their job; consequently, their being perfect helped them improve and grow their professional identity more successfully. In other words, although many further studies with bigger, more varied populations must be conducted to reach a firm conclusion, it can be deduced from the present study results that perfectionist teachers, who are aware of their professional identity, might be more successful in their jobs. Ultimately, there is no doubt that research about teachers' professional identity and utilizing the results can help both the teachers and the educational systems improve.