Modelling the contribution of teachers’ perceived school climate to foreign language teaching enjoyment

The increasing prevalence of language teacher depression and burnout has highlighted the urgent need to examine factors that support educators’ psychological well-being. Given this situation, Foreign Language Teaching Enjoyment (FLTE) has gained recognition as a key protective factor, shedding light on how emotional experiences can help improve teachers’ work performance. Grounded in an ecological perspective, this study focused on the investigation of a crucial influencing factor that shapes FLTE—perceived school climate—among 365 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in China. Using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), the research evaluated the differential contributions of three dimensions of school climate: Teacher-Student Relationship, Instructional Innovation, and Decision Making. Findings indicated that both Teacher-Student Relationship and Instructional Innovation were significant predictors of FLTE, with Teacher-Student Relationship demonstrating the strongest predictive power. In contrast, Decision Making was not found to remarkably predict FLTE. These results highlighted the role of immediate, micro-level interactions in shaping teachers’ emotional experiences, while deemphasising the influence of the macro-level institutional factors. This study provided further practical implications to advocate for prioritising teacher-student rapport and innovative pedagogical practices. It also called for effective administrative strategies that can cultivate supportive, emotionally sustainable school environments.