From Fear to Fulfilment: Exploring Intrinsic Motivation and Language Teaching Anxiety among Secondary School English Teachers in Punjab, Pakistan

This study discovers the simultaneous existence of intrinsic motivation and English Language Teaching Anxiety (ELTA) among teachers in public secondary schools of Punjab, Pakistan. Teachers frequently feel uncomfortable due to reservations about language proficiency, deficiency of resources, and institutional prospects in an environment where English is a high-stakes subject and a depiction of upward mobility. Many teachers continue to be driven by their love of teaching, dedication towards student success, and quest of professional growth despite these challenges. Data was gathered from 15 English teachers by semi-structured interviews and reflective journals as part of a descriptive qualitative methodology. Thematic analysis exhibited that intrinsic motivation allows instructors to continue and operate successfully and ELTA originates from anxiety about linguistic errors, classroom assessment, and curriculum pressure. Determined coaches used a variety of coping mechanisms of coping mechanisms, such as peer collaboration, self-reflection, and re-explaining their fears as opportunities for growth. The outcomes show that intrinsic motivation and teaching anxiety frequently exist simultaneously rather than being contrasting to one another. This dynamic underline the need to promote teachers' internal motivational resources as organizational support. This research provides valuable information for educational policymakers, teacher trainers, and school administrators to boost teacher welfare and improve English language instruction in underfunded settings.