Leadership skills and teacher well-being: Under the lens of Vietnamese EFL teachers

This qualitative study explores the impacts of leaders’ leadership skills on the well-being of Vietnamese English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers. Utilizing a grounded theory approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with six participants selected through purposive sampling from both public and private sectors. This study is important because it addresses a significant gap in existing research by focusing on the well-being of EFL teachers in Vietnam, a context where English proficiency is increasingly prioritized but where teachers face growing pressures and challenges. Understanding how leadership skills contribute to teacher well-being can inform leadership practices and policies that enhance teacher retention, job satisfaction, and ultimately, the quality of English language education. The findings revealed a range of leadership skills and practices that positively influence teacher well-being, including fostering collaboration and teamwork, adapting to changes, respecting teachers’ professional judgment, providing emotional support and fair workload distribution, promoting work-life balance, providing continuous feedback and growth opportunities, ensuring clear communication, empowering and appreciating teachers, resolving conflicts, and establishing trust.