Exploring into the Role of Teachers’ Self-Efficacy and Resilience in IELTS Context: A Qualitative Approach

Abstract

As teaching is a stimulating activity with its difficulties specifically at higher levels, teachers are exposed to some problems such as burnout and attrition that should be alleviated. Therefore, exploring the factors contributing to the issue might be a warranted research domain. As one of the factors, the resilience of teachers has become a crucial focal point in education, emphasizing the necessity of cultivating the capacity to overcome challenges encountered during the teaching process. Simultaneously, research underscores the pivotal role of instructors' self-efficacy as teacher training programs try their best to train highly competent teachers. In line with this, the current study sought to examine the significance of resilience and self-efficacy among International English Language Testing System (IELTS) teachers. A total of 20 IELTS teachers from Oxford Language Center in Tehran were selected through purposive sampling, and they participated in semi-structured interviews as part of the research investigation. The results through theme analysis demonstrated a substantial positive correlation between self-efficacy and the resilience of IELTS teachers. This paper contributes to the enhancement of self-efficacy and resilience among IELTS teachers. Consequently, the findings offer implications for language stakeholders, urging them to acknowledge and consider the critical role of teacher self-efficacy and resilience in this domain.