An Activity-Theoretic Analysis of Two Beginning EFL Teachers’ Emotional Labor Strategies and Their Pedagogical Responses: A Case Study

Abstract

This qualitative study investigates the emotional labor of beginning EFL teachers concerning their students. Two beginning teachers working at Korean junior high schools in the public sector were recruited for the study, and semi-structured interviews with each participant were the main data source. The transcription of interviews was analyzed using Activity Theory (Leont’ev 1978, Engestrӧm 1999), influenced by Vygotsky (1978), to capture the conflicts and resolutions from a comprehensive perspective. The results indicated that the participating teachers thought they were experiencing conflicts with the instructional instrument and the teaching community while performing emotional labor, and they experienced difficulty suppressing their feelings concerning students exhibiting problematic behavior. In addition, the conflicts in their activity system were resolved by changing their teaching practices, materials, and emotional response to the students. The results imply that beginning teachers should receive help through pre-and in-service training courses, the school, and the system. © 2023 KASELL All rights reserved.