Emotions in learning to teach EFL in the practicum setting: Facing the emotional dilemmas and challenges associated with professional practice

Abstract

Since L2 teaching, like all teaching, is an emotionally intense practice and the fact that emotions in the learning-to-teach experience have often been ignored by teacher educators (Golombek and Doran in Teaching and Teacher Education 39, 102–111, 2014), the present study explores various aspects of the emotional life of student teachers during the practicum experience relating to their emotional responses, tensions, dilemmas and challenges associated with professional practice. Although research into teachers’ emotionality has been conducted mostly in the field of teacher education, surprisingly little is known about the role of emotions in learning to teach and about how student teachers’ emotional experiences relate to their teaching practices, how they regulate their emotions and their relationships with students (Sutton and Wheatley in Educational Psychology Review, 15(4), 327–358, 2003). A quantitative as well as qualitative research design was employed to better identify and understand EFL student teachers’ observations, reflections and interpretations of their own emotional responses and/or experiences. Findings reveal that the informants experience a wide variety of pleasant and unpleasant emotions ranging from passion, enthusiasm, enjoyment, satisfaction and happiness to uncertainty, insecurity, anxiety, disappointment, anger, frustration, boredom and burnout. The factors influencing such emotional responses and/or experiences are also discussed in this study. Finally, the chapter concludes with implications for teacher education and future research directions.