Motivation, Well-Being, and Resilience: The Case of World Language Educators at West Virginia University

Educator well-being and motivation have become popular topics in educational research, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. Well-being and motivation are often derived from positive interactions with students and colleagues as well as feelings of affirmation in the classroom and workplace. While a supportive workplace environment can reinforce an educator’s sense of well-being, job stressors, including job precarity, can undermine this well-being and accompanying sense of self. If stressors become too great, educators may choose to leave a particular position or the profession altogether. This study examines the negative impact on motivation and well-being caused specifically by the threat of job loss. The case study is centered around world language educators during an academic transformation process at a large, state university in the United States. Given the widespread language program cuts taking place across the country at present, it is imperative to understand the impacts that such cuts have on the motivation, identity, and the physical and mental well-being of those affected as well as the role their resilience plays in such cases. Despite challenges to their sense of self, their motivation, and their well-being, the faculty who were affected by the academic transformation process demonstrated resilience by continuing their work, supporting their students, and engaging in research and advocacy.