Contributions of significant others to second language teacher well-being: a self-determination theory perspective

Abstract

The present study explores the contributions of significant others to 10 Iranian English language teachers’ well-being by drawing on self-determination theory. We define significant others as individuals who play a key role in the emotional dynamics that teachers experience and serve as the impetus for those emotional experiences. Data were collected from questionnaires, narrative frames, and semi-structured interviews. Analyses of the data revealed that significant others contributed to the teachers’ competence (becoming more agentic), autonomy (alignment and emotion labor), and relatedness (interpersonal emotionality) in relation to their well-being. Our findings indicate that significant others define teachers’ relational well-being through shaping their identities, agencies, and emotions in interpersonal interactions and relationships. We also discuss implications for pre-service and in-service teachers as well as for teacher educators, and emphasize the need to develop a more nested understanding of well-being and the myriad of factors influencing it.