An Emotional Geography Model of EFL Teachers’ Transitional Emotions from Real to Online Classes

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor of Applied Linguistics, Department of English Language Teaching, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran

2 M.A. in Applied Linguistics, Department of English Language Teaching, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran

Abstract

Emotions are important in the educational processes, influencing teachers' interactions while trying to teach in real and online classes. Therefore, this study investigated the transitional emotions experienced by English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers as they shifted from real/in-person classroom settings to online teaching, using an emotional geography model. Moreover, we aimed to explore the emotion regulation strategies that they used during their transitioning. Following a descriptive narrative design, we probed the transitional emotions of 10 Iranian EFL teachers while transitioning from real to online classrooms. The findings of the thematic analysis showed five key themes. First, physical geography may enhance cognitive change, resulting in positive emotions. Second, issues with the internet negatively impact classroom quality, leading to negative emotions. Third, situational modifications may help teachers adapt and meet their instructional needs amidst online challenges. Fourth, attentional deployment may serve as a strategy for improving professional geography. Lastly, situation selection and response modulation may aid in the development of moral and socio-cultural geography. These themes illustrate the interconnection between emotion regulation strategies and geographical models of emotions, highlighting their importance in transitioning from real to online teaching. Therefore, we concluded that emotion regulation strategies were helpful in solving the challenges that EFL teachers faced concerning their transitional emotions.

Keywords

References

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Applied Linguistics Inquiry
Volume 2, Issue 2
September 2024
Pages 47-61

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History

  • Receive Date: 20 April 2024
  • Revise Date: 13 July 2024
  • Accept Date: 09 August 2024

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