Balancing Emotions for Effective Teaching: Cultivating Teacher Well-being in TESOL

Abstract

This study aims to examine the extent to which Saudi Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) teachers appreciate teacher well-being, perceive the significance of balancing emotions for effective teaching, and establish a compassionate classroom culture that promotes learner well-being and learning achievement. The study also investigates the Saudi TESOL teachers' perceptions of the importance of the mixed-methods research design for exploring teacher well-being. The study applied a quantitative design, administering an online survey to a sample of 59 Saudi TESOL teachers with varying educational levels and experience. The findings indicate that Saudi TESOL teachers consider emotions to be highly important for effective teaching, though they report placing moderate importance on cultivating strategies to support their own well-being. Additionally, they perceive the use of mixed-methods research to explore teacher well-being as moderately important. The study results indicate that prioritizing teacher well-being can significantly influence student learning outcomes underlining the role of educational institutions in considering this an important factor in quality enhancement on their campuses.