The mediating role of EFL/ESL teachers’ academic optimism and positive psychological capital in their pedagogical effectiveness

Abstract

A growing scholarly attention has been paid to the psycho-emotional side of second/foreign language (L2) education in the past decade. Optimal teaching and student achievement are no longer solely governed by teachers’ pedagogical skills and practices. Instead, various psycho-affective variables mediate the process of teaching English and its effectiveness. However, the way EFL/ESL teachers’ academic optimism and positive psychological capital influence their pedagogical effectiveness in light of demographic factors is neglected. To fill this gap, this study used three online questionnaires to examine the predictive role of 338 Chinese EFL/ESL teachers’ academic optimism and positive psychological capital in their pedagogical effectiveness. The results of structural equation modeling (SEM) and the standardized regression weights demonstrated a strong correlation between demographic factors and teacher’s academic optimism and teacher’s positive psychological capital. Moreover, a strong association was observed between teacher’s positive psychological capital and teacher effectiveness, while academic optimism did not correlate with teacher effectiveness. Furthermore, positive psychological capital could predict about 67% of changes in Chinese EFL/ESL teachers’ pedagogical effectiveness. The study also discusses the implications and suggestions for further research to deepen L2 educators’ knowledge of teacher-psychology.