Is “Neijuan” the Way to Achieve Early‐Career Teachers’ Well‐Being: A Perspective From the Relationship Among Foreign Language Teacher Well‐Being, Agency, and Identity

ABSTRACT “Neijuan” (translated as involution) has sparked increased interest in the development of foreign language teacher identity. However, research exploring neijuan's potential role in fostering identity development during early career stages has been insufficient. Furthermore, these relationships need to be empirically investigated in foreign language contexts despite the possible influence of teacher well‐being and agency on teacher identity. This research utilized a mixed‐methods approach, comprising questionnaire surveys that yielded 249 effective responses and follow‐up interviews with five teachers from China's “double first‐class” universities. Results showed that teacher well‐being directly influenced teacher identity, and teacher well‐being indirectly affected teacher identity via the mediation of agency. These results have implications for universities and teachers to develop a healthier and more sustainable work ecosystem.