Educational Climates in Flux: A Metaphorical Lens on Language Teacher Identity Development in Teacher Education

While Climate Change Education (CCE) typically promotes environmental literacy, this study explores its metaphorical application to understand how Iranian English language teachers construct their professional identities amid systemic disruptions. Drawing on metaphor and teacher identity theories, 32 pre- and in-service teachers used climate metaphors (e.g., storms, droughts, earthquakes) to articulate challenges and resilience in Iran’s shifting educational landscape. Through qualitative methods – metaphor tasks, interviews, and workshops – three patterns emerged: storms signified sudden disruptions (52 %), droughts reflected resource scarcity (31 %), and earthquakes marked policy-induced ruptures (17 %). Resilience strategies mapped onto the ESA teacher education model (Engage, Study, Activate), leading to a proposed Climate-Resilient ESA framework. Findings offer insights for teacher education in similarly turbulent BRICS contexts.