EFL Teachers’ Conceptualizations of Well-Being: Enhancers and Threats Across Educational Contexts in Iran

This qualitative study utilized a grounded theory approach to examine how Iranian English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) teachers perceive and navigate their well-being within the diverse contexts of high schools, language institutes, and universities. The primary objective was to identify the factors that impact and challenge their well-being. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 31 EFL teachers across these contexts, and data analysis was carried out iteratively until saturation was reached. The results highlighted that EFL teachers’ wellbeing is a complex, multifaceted construct influenced by both personal and contextual factors. While certain factors were common across the contexts, their manifestations varied depending on the unique demands of each teaching environment. Additionally, specific contextual factors were found to either enhance or hinder well-being. The study suggests that improving EFL teachers’ well-being requires addressing threats and amplifying positive factors, with pedagogical adjustments tailored to each context. Future research could benefit from combining various data collection methods, such as observations, and examining EFL teachers’ well-being across different career stages to explore how perceptions evolve over time.