| Summary: | Research on teacher burnout is expanding, but its effects on second language acquisition and its relationship with teacher engagement remain underexplored. This thesis examines the impact of burnout among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers on various aspects of teacher engagement, including cognitive-physical, emotional, and social interactions with colleagues and students, based on Klassen et al.’s framework (2013). Following an exploratory study, 31 secondary school English language teachers in Hungary were interviewed. These discussions revealed significant insights into how teacher burnout can affect their engagement, showing that engagement can be negatively, positively, or unaffected. The cognitive-physical aspect was found to be most adversely affected. Interestingly, burnout and engagement were found to coexist, with some teachers experiencing both positive and negative impacts on their engagement.
The study also emphasises the critical role of emotional engagement in language teaching (Gkonou & Mercer, 2017). It highlights the emotional consequences of burnout and its effects on teachers’ daily interactions and over time. Teachers’ narratives illuminate their efforts to manage the consequences of burnout, detailing their broader emotional experiences, coping mechanisms, and techniques for reengaging with their teaching roles. This qualitative study provides important insights from the experiences of EFL teachers in Hungarian secondary education, addressing a significant gap in the existing literature.
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