The paper "Capturing the emotional experiences of English as a foreign language university teachers: A critical perspective" by Eman I. Alzaanin explores the emotional experiences of EFL teachers at a Saudi Arabian university. The study aims to understand how nine female EFL instructors experience and manage their emotions while teaching English-major students, analyzing these experiences through a critical lens that considers power relationships in the classroom and institutional context.
Using in-depth interviews and thematic analysis, the research investigates the factors contributing to teachers' positive and negative emotional experiences. The study reveals that teachers' passion for teaching, student engagement, and appreciation of teachers' efforts trigger feelings of happiness and pride. However, teachers frequently experience anger, frustration, anxiety, and sadness due to disruptive student behaviors and constraining institutional policies. The power dynamics between teachers, students, and the institution significantly influence how teachers construct, express, and regulate their emotions.
The findings indicate that teachers often suppress negative emotions to maintain their professional image, which can be detrimental to their wellbeing. The study highlights how teachers' sense of disempowerment, stemming from limited control over teaching situations and institutional policies, contributes to negative emotional experiences. These, in turn, affect teaching quality and teachers' physical and psychological health.
The paper concludes by emphasizing the need for educational institutions to acknowledge the significance of emotions in EFL classrooms. It recommends providing teachers with professional development opportunities to enhance their emotional competence and address emotional difficulties. The study also suggests that institutions should empower teachers and enhance their agency to create supportive learning environments while facilitating teachers' moral and pedagogical purposes.
This research contributes to the understanding of EFL teachers' emotional experiences in higher education settings, particularly in the Saudi Arabian context, and highlights the importance of considering power relationships in shaping these experiences.