Reviewing the Effect of English as a Foreign Language Teachers’ Positive and Negative Affectivity on Their Work Engagement

Abstract

This review strives to illuminate the related studies on the effect of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ positive and negative emotions on their work engagement. The negative correlations among teachers’ boredom, apprehension, shame, frustration, and work engagement have been confirmed in the review of the literature. Furthermore, few studies have validated the effect of teachers’ positive emotions, such as enjoyment and pride, on their work engagement in educational contexts. The studies showed that some factors, such as teacher self-efficacy, teacher self-sufficiency, increased academic challenges, and ambiguity in educational contexts, can mediate the relationship between teachers’ negative emotions and work engagement. The review of literature has emphasized the mediating role of growth mindset in the relationship between teachers’ positive emotions and work engagement. To improve the language teaching quality, the pedagogical implications are explained in the end. Some suggestions for further research are provided to expand the literature about teachers’ emotional variables.

A model of teachers’ growth mindset, teaching enjoyment, work engagement, and teacher grit among EFL teachers

“…Therefore, such teachers are more optimistic about enhancing their performance level, leading to their heightened engagement in their teaching practices. Also, the finding of the present study partially accords with the study by Fan (2022) who concluded that the growth mindset plays a mediating role between a teacher’s positive psycho-affective variables and work engagement, the findings which was also corroborated by Elkheloufi and Yean (2022) . Furthermore, our findings partially support those of Zhao et al (2021) in which growth mindset indirectly and positively influences work engagement.…”

The role of cognition, affect, and resources in the influence of unreasonable tasks on work engagement: A moderated chain mediation model

“…It is an affective reaction that occurs when employees are faced with unreasonable tasks ( Fila and Eatough, 2020 ), stress ( Horiuchi et al, 2018 ), and work interruption ( Sonnentag et al, 2018 ). Negative affect also adversely influences work engagement ( Fan, 2022 ), work effort ( Anjum et al, 2022 ), and job satisfaction ( Lan et al, 2022 ). Based on the cognitive-affective systems theory, negative affect triggered by unreasonable tasks can cause employees to reduce positive work behaviors such as work engagement.…”