Conceptualization of Iranian English Teachers’ Emotional Fatigue and the Ways They Handle It

Objective: Teaching is an emotionally demanding job that frequently has negative effects on teachers, especially when done within the setting of a second or foreign language (L۲). Methods: In order to close the gap, this phenomenological investigation looked at the reasons behind emotional fatigue among Iranian EFL teachers as well as its consequences and regulating strategies. Twenty teachers participated in a semi-structured interview. Results: The results of the thematic analysis demonstrated that there were numerous causes and consequences of this emotional state. The most frequent reasons were ‘Pressures at work,’ ‘Mismatches and Identity Conflicts,’ ‘Stressful Environments in Classrooms,’ ‘High Expectations,’ ‘Students' Disengagement and Poor Cooperation,’ ‘Students Poor Academic Performance,’ ‘Out of Class Activities,’ ‘Repetitive and Boring Behaviours.’ Furthermore, It was found that teachers' emotional fatigue can result in ‘Poor Quality of Instruction,’ ‘Burnout at Work,’ ‘Insufficient Work Engagement,’ ‘lack of Passion for teaching,’ ‘A Lack of Self-efficacy,’ ‘Low Student Performance,’ ‘Feeling Several Negative Emotions.’ The participants employed a range of responsive and preventive techniques both before and after the event of negative emotion in order to regulate it. Conclusion: The study provides some conclusions and implications for Iranian L۲ teachers, teacher trainers, and policymakers to enhance their understanding of the nature and process of emotional fatigue in English teaching and its regulation.

کلیدواژه ها:

positive psychology ، emotion regulation strategies ، emotional fatigue ، EFL teachers ، teacher emotions ، positive psychology ، emotion regulation strategies ، emotional fatigue ، EFL teachers ، teacher emotions