Examining the role of psychological wellbeing in EFL teachers' pedagogical effectiveness and professional success: A structural equation modeling analysis

The role of teachers' psychological and affective factors in their pedagogy and practice has been widely reported in the recent literature. However, the correlation and predicting role of English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers' psychological wellbeing (PWB) in their pedagogical effectiveness and professional success has been left unaddressed. To fill this gap, this study used three questionnaires in a survey of 621 Chinese EFL teachers' perceptions of the interplay of PWB, pedagogical effectiveness, and professional success. The results of structural equation modeling (SEM) and correlation analysis showed a strong and positive correlation among the three constructs. Moreover, regression analysis revealed that teachers' PWB could predict variances noted in their pedagogical effectiveness and professional success. The results are theoretically and empirically discussed and significant implications are presented to EFL teachers and teacher educators regarding the impact of emotionality on L2 teachers' pedagogical effectiveness and professional success.