THE INTERRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LANGUAGE TEACHER IMMUNITY, VISION, MOTIVATION, WELLBEING, AND TPACK
Main Article Content
Abstract
This study investigated the interrelationship between language teacher immunity, vision, motivation, wellbeing, and Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) among 183 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in Iran. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to examine the relationships between these constructs. The results indicated a significant positive effect of language teacher wellbeing on immunity, TPACK, and motivation. Moreover, TPACK and vision were found to have a significant positive influence on motivation. However, the positive influence of immunity on motivation was not significant. Wellbeing was also found to have a positive impact on vision, with the mediating role of immunity, and on motivation through the mediating roles of immunity, vision, and TPACK. The influence of teaching context (public vs. private), teaching experience, and employment status (full-time vs. part-time) on these constructs was also examined. While a difference was noticed in the perception of the constructs by full-time vs. part-time teachers, the results did not differ significantly for teachers in public vs. private school settings or with varying teaching experience. The findings suggest the importance of considering the dynamic interplay of these factors in understanding language teacher motivation and have implications for teacher education and professional development.
Downloads
Article Details
Section

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
References
Abdolhosseinzadeh Amini, M., & Kruger, C. G. (2022). The role of Iranian EFL teacher autonomy and reflectivity in teacher self-directed learning: A systematic literature review. Iranian Journal of Language Teaching Research, 10(1), 101-126.
Adipat, S. (2021). Developing technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) through technology-enhanced content and language-integrated learning (T-CLIL) instruction. Education and Information Technologies, 26(5), 6461–6477. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10648-3
Babic, S., Mairitsch, A., Mercer, S., Sulis, G., & King, J. (2023). Language teachers’ capitals as resources for wellbeing across the career trajectories. European Journal of Teacher Education, 48(4), 820-838. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619768.2023.2280530
Baser, D., Kopcha, T. J., & Ozden, M. Y. (2016). Developing a technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) assessment for preservice teachers learning to teach English as a foreign language. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 29(4), 749–764. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2015.1047456
Borman, G. D., & Dowling, N. M. (2008). Teacher attrition and retention: A meta-analytic and narrative review of the research. Review of Educational Research, 78(3), 367–409.
Carmen, R.-G., Olga, B.-G., & Beatriz, M. (2022). Socio-emotional competence and self-efficacy of future secondary school teachers. Education Sciences, 12(3), Article 161. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12030161
Chai, C. S., Chin, C. K., Koh, J. H. L., & Tan, C. L. (2013). Exploring Singaporean Chinese language teachers’ technological pedagogical content knowledge and its relationship to the teachers’ pedagogical beliefs. Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 22, 657-666. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-013-0071-3
Chang, M.L. (2009). An appraisal perspective of teacher burnout: Examining the emotional work of teachers. Educational Psychology Review, 21(3), 193–218.
Dörnyei, Z., & Kubanyiova, M. (2014). Motivating learners, motivating teachers: Building vision in the language classroom. Cambridge University Press. https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1100971
Dörnyei, Z., & Ushioda, E. (2011). Teaching and researching motivation (2nd ed.). Pearson Education.
Ebadijalal, M., & Moradkhani, S. (2022). Understanding EFL teachers’ wellbeing: An activity theoretic perspective. Language Teaching Research, 29(6), 2393-2414. https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688221125558
Eisenberger, R., Stinglhamber, F., Vandenberghe, C., Sucharski, I. L., & Rhoades, L. (2002). Perceived supervisor support: Contributions to perceived organizational support and employee retention. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87(3), 565–573. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.87.3.565
Fernandes, S., Gupta, P., & Kumar, V. A. (2020). Relationship between work motivation scale and TPACK. Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, 12(4), 693-708. https://doi.org/10.1108/JARHE-07-2018-0155
Gao, X., & Xu, H. (2014). The dilemma of being English language teachers: Interpreting teachers’ motivation to teach, and professional commitment in China’s hinterland regions. Language Teaching Research, 18(2), 152–168. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168813505938
Grassinger, R., Landberg, M., Määttä, S. et al. (2024). Interplay of intrinsic motivation and well-being at school. Motivation and Emotion, 48, 147–154. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-024-10057-2
Haghi, S., Jafarpour, M., Behroojeh, M., & Kamali, J. (2025). Technological interventions and language teacher immunity: A narrative inquiry into triggers and coping strategies. Technology in Language Teaching & Learning, 7(2), Article 103221. https://doi.org/10.29140/tltl.v7n2.103221
Hammerness, K. (2008). “If you don’t know where you are going, any path will do”: The role of teachers’ visions in teachers’ career paths. The New Educator, 4(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/15476880701829184
Harmadi, F., Maryani, I., Sukirman, S., & Montano, E. C. N. (2025). Digital transformation: Exploring the relationship between literacy, motivation, and TPACK in elementary education. Indonesian Journal on Learning and Advanced Education (IJOLAE), 295-311. https://doi.org/10.23917/ijolae.v7i2.9209
Henry, A. (2019). Directed motivational currents: Extending the theory of L2 vision. In M. Lamb, K. Csizér, A. Henry, & S. Ryan (Eds.), The Palgrave handbook of motivation for language learning (Issue January, pp. 139–161). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28380-3
Hiver, P. (2015). Once burned, twice shy: The dynamic development of system immunity in teachers. In Z. Dornyei, P. MacIntyre, & A. Henry (Eds.), Motivational dynamics in language learning (pp. 214–237). Multilingual Matters.
Hiver, P. (2017). Tracing the signature dynamics of language teacher immunity: A retrodictive qualitative modeling study. Modern Language Journal, 101(4), 669–690. https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12433
Hiver, P., & Dörnyei, Z. (2017). Language teacher immunity: A double-edged sword. Applied Linguistics, 38(3), 405-423. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amv034
Johnson, S., Cooper, C., Cartwright, S., Donald, I., Taylor, P., & Millet, C. (2005). The experience of work‐related stress across occupations. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 20(2), 178–187. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-60752-200-320251006
Kadıoğlu-Akbulut, C., Cetin-Dindar, A., Acar-Şeşen, B., & Küçük, S. (2023). Predicting preservice science teachers’ TPACK through ICT usage. Education and Information Technologies, 28, 11269-11289. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11657-0
Kern, M. L., Waters, L., Adler, A., & White, M. (2014). Assessing employee wellbeing in schools using a multifaceted approach: Associations with physical health, life satisfaction, and professional thriving. Psychology, 05(06), 500–513. https://doi.org/10.4236/psych.2014.56060
Khalili, A., & Zohrabi, M. (2024). Predictors of New Zealander and Iranian English teachers’ productive and maladaptive teacher immunity. Journal of Language Horizons, 8(3), 97-124. https://doi.org/10.22051/lghor.2024.46117.1892
Koehler, M., & Mishra, P. (2009). What is technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK)? Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 9(1), 60-70.
Kotowski, S. E., Davis, K. G., & Barratt, C. L. (2022). Teachers feeling the burden of COVID-19: Impact on well-being, stress, and burnout. WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation, 71(2), 407-415. https://doi.org/10.3233/wor-210994
Kubanyiova, M. (2012). Teacher development in action: Understanding language teachers’ conceptual change. Springer.
Kubanyiova, M., & Feryok, A. (2015). Language teacher cognition in applied linguistics research: Revisiting the territory, redrawing the boundaries, reclaiming the relevance. The Modern Language Journal, 99(3), 435–449. https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12239
Kumaravadivelu, B. (2012). Individual identity, cultural globalization, and teaching English as an international language: The Case for an epistemic break. In B. Kumaravadivelu (Ed.), Principles and practices for teaching English as an international language (pp. 17–35). Routledge.
Linley, P. A., Joseph, S., Harrington, S., & Wood, A. M. (2006). Positive psychology: Past, present, and (possible) future. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 1(1), 3–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760500372796
Liu, X., & Zhang, L. (2014). Examining the relationship among part-time work arrangements, job satisfaction, and work effort. In Academy of Management Proceedings (Vol. 2014, No. 1, p. 13320). Academy of Management.
MacIntyre, P. D., Ross, J., Talbot, K., Mercer, S., Gregersen, T., & Banga, C. A. (2019). Stressors, personality and wellbeing among language teachers. System, 82, 26–38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2019.02.013
Maghsoudi, M. (2021). Productive or maladaptive immunity? Which one is more dominant among Iranian EFL prospective teachers? Applied Research on English Language, 10(1), 51–80. https://doi.org/10.22108/are.2020.124031.1595
Mehdizadeh, M., Pourhaji, M., & Derakhshan, A. (2024). Evolution of communities of practice, realignment of possible selves, and repositionings in EFL teacher professional identity development: A longitudinal case study. The Language Learning Journal, 52(3), 336-348. https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2022.2163685
Mercer, S. (2020). The wellbeing of language teachers in the private sector: An ecological perspective. Language Teaching Research, 27(5), 1054–1077. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168820973510
Mercer, S., & Gregersen, T. (2020). Teacher wellbeing. Oxford University Press.
Meyer, J. P., & Allen, N. J. (2001). Organizational commitment. In I. T. Robertson & C. L. Cooper (Eds.), Personnel psychology and human resource management: A reader for students and practitioners, 289- 342), John Wiley & Sons.
Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological pedagogical content knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1017-1054. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9620.2006.00684.x
Muir, C., & Dörnyei, Z. (2013). Directed motivational currents: Using vision to create effective motivational pathways. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 3(3), 357-375. https://doi.org/10.14746/ssllt.2013.3.3.3
Oh, S., & Kim, T. Y. (2024). A qualitative approach to Korean EFL students L2 motivation and directed motivational currents. Language Research, 60(2), 151-176. https://doi.org/10.30961/lr.2024.60.2.151
Öz, H. (2015). Assessing pre-service English as a foreign language teachers’ technological pedagogical content knowledge. International Education Studies, 8(5), 119–130. https://doi.org/10.5539/ies.v8n5p119
Parsons, S. A., Vaughn, M., Malloy, J. A., & Pierczynski, M. (2017). The development of teachers’ visions from preservice into their first years teaching: A longitudinal study. Teaching and Teacher Education, 64, 12–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2017.01.018
Peters, L. H., Jackofsky, E. F., & Salter, J. R. (1981). Predicting turnover: A comparison of part‐time and full‐time employees. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 2(2), 89-98. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.4030020204
Pourbahram, R., & Hajizadeh, M. (2018). The relationship between EFL instructors’ emotional intelligence and learners’ academic achievement. Language Teaching and Educational Research, 1(1), 42-51. https://izlik.org/JA43HE63DJ
Pourbahram, R., & Sadeghi, K. (2022). English as a foreign language teachers’ wellbeing amidst COVID-19 pandemic. Applied Research on English Language, 11(4), 77–98. https://doi.org/10.22108/ARE.2022.132648.1858
Rahmati, T., Sadeghi, K., & Ghaderi, F. (2018). English language teachers’ vision and motivation: Possible selves and activity theory perspectives. RELC Journal, 50(3), 457-474. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688218777321
Rahmati, T., Sadeghi, K., & Ghaderi, F. (2019). English as a foreign language teacher immunity: An integrated reflective practice. Iranian Journal of Language Teaching Research, 7(3), 91-107.
Razmjoo, S. A., & Ayoobiyan, H. (2019). On the relationship between teacher resilience and self-efficacy: The case of Iranian EFL teachers. Journal of English Language Teaching and Learning, 11(23), 277–292.
Redecker, C. (2017). European framework for the digital competence of educators: DigCompEdu. Publications Office of the European Union. https://doi.org/10.2760/159770
Sadeghi, K., & Pourbahram, R. (2024). Exploring factors affecting English language teacher wellbeing: Insights from positive psychology. System, 122, Article 103274. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2024.103274
Sadeghi, K., & Pourbahram, R. (2026). A possible selves theory perspective on EFL teacher vision and motivation. TESOL Journal, 17(1), Article e70095. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesj.70095
Safdari, S. (2019). Operationalizing L2 motivational self system: Improving EFL learners’ motivation through a vision enhancement program. Language Teaching Research, 25(2), 282–305. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168819846597
Schmid, M., Brianza, E., & Petko, D. (2021). Self-reported technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) of pre-service teachers in relation to digital technology use in lesson plans. Computers in Human Behavior, 115, Article 106586. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106586
Seligman, M. E. (2011). Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being (1st ed.). Free Press.
Stan R. (2022). Personality traits, technology-related teaching skills, and coping mechanisms as antecedents of teachers' job-related affective well-being and burnout in compulsory and higher education online teaching settings. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, Article 792642. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.792642
Sun, K., Jiang, A. L., & Jin, Y. (2025). A multi-level moderation analysis of teacher immunity, school climate, and teaching quality among English-as-a-foreign-language teachers in China. Teaching and Teacher Education, 159, Article 105005. 10.1016/j.tate.2025.105005
Swanson, P. (2012). Second/foreign language teacher efficacy and its relationship to professional attrition. The Canadian Modern Language Review, 68(1), 78–101. https://doi.org/10.3138/cmlr.68.1.078
Valtonen, T., Leppänen, U., Hyypiä, M., Sointu, E., Smits, A., & Tondeur, J. (2020). Fresh perspectives on TPACK: Pre-service teachers’ own appraisal of their challenging and confident TPACK areas. Education and Information Technologies, 25(4), 2823–2842. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-019-10092-4
Yu, S., & Liu, H. (2024). Longitudinal detection of directed motivational currents in L2 learning: Motivated behaviours and emotional responses. Current Psychology, 43(8), 7497-7510. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04945-y
Zhang, L. J., Fathi, J., & Mohammaddokht, F. (2023). Predicting teaching enjoyment from teachers’ perceived school climate, self-efficacy, and psychological wellbeing at work: EFL teachers. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 130(5), 2269–2299. https://doi.org/10.1177/00315125231182269
Zhang, X., Admiraal, W., & Saab, N. (2021). Teachers’ motivation to participate in continuous professional development: Relationship with factors at the personal and school level. Journal of Education for Teaching, 47(5), 714–731. https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2021.1942804