Exploring the Potential of Spirulina Algae in Green Facades for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Architecture: A Theoretical Approach for Energy Optimization and Environmental Improvement in Tropical Climates

Objective: The purpose of this study is to explore the emotional experiences of EFL teacher candidates during practicum, as well as the factors that influence their positive and negative feelings and the coping strategies within the concern of sustainable development goals (SDGs). Theoretical Framework: Teachers’ emotions can be uncovered through a variety of theoretical perspectives. In this study, positive psychology was adopted as a theoretical lens for understanding and analyzing emotional experiences and emotions of teacher candidates. Method: The present study, which intends to investigate EFL teacher candidates’ emotional experiences during practicum in addition to uncovering the factors affecting their positive and negative emotions and coping strategies that they utilize in the face of any adverse or unpleasant situations while practicing their teaching, adopted a qualitative research study as the research design. To achieve the purpose of the study, data were collected through open-ended interview forms and reflection papers. Results and Discussion: Research findings reveal that participating teacher candidates experienced both positive and negative emotions during their teaching practices. Such emotions were mostly triggered by teacher candidates’ lack of practices, their dilemmas, teaching context, supervisor, and mentor roles. Moreover, findings indicate that teacher candidates employ several strategies to regulate their emotions during practicum. In this sense, teacher candidates’ emotional stories and coping strategies that they applied in the face of negative experiences are crucial on their wellbeing and problem-solving skills as well as identity construction, which in turn ensures sustainability in teacher education. Research Implications: Teacher educators as supervisors and mentor teachers at practicum schools need to consider that teacher candidates experience emotional ups and downs, and such emotional experiences affect their teaching performances as well as their teacher identity construction.