Resilience of EFL Teachers in Chinese Higher Education: Institutional Factors and Strategies

Teaching is widely recognised as a demanding and high-stress profession, and the global crisis of teacher burnout and attrition has been well-documented. Amid persistent concerns regarding high teacher attrition rates, research has increasingly shifted from merely examining the nature of the problem to exploring potential solutions. In this regard, teacher resilience has garnered growing attention for its role in enabling educators to manage professional demands and sustain motivation in the face of everyday professional challenges. This study focuses on the resilience of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in Chinese Higher Education (HE), examining the specific challenges they encounter, the strategies they employ to maintain well-being, the institutional factors shaping their resilience and the potential institutional changes needed to better support and sustain teacher resilience over time. Central to this inquiry is the understanding of resilience as a dynamic process rather than an innate and fixed trait. A qualitative approach was adopted, drawing on semi-structured interviews with 18 participants from a public university in China. These participants included EFL teachers as well as administrative personnel from the College of Foreign Studies (COFS), the Mental Health Education Centre (MHEC), the Teacher and Teaching Development Centre (TTDC), and the Human Resources (HR) department within this Chinese university. In addition, three institutional documents were analysed to contextualise support structures related to professional development and teacher well-being. Findings reveal that EFL teachers experience a range of inter-related challenges that manifest physically, psychologically and interpersonally. To cope with these challenges, they draw on diverse strategies such as problem recognition, emotional regulation and adaptive professional practices. The development of resilience was found to be influenced by personal attributes and multi-layered contextual factors across ecological systems. Notably, mentorship, peer collaboration and sociocultural influences emerged as significant factors in fostering and sustaining teacher resilience. Institutional support, including stress management workshops, wellness programmes rooted in traditional Chinese medicine and access to psychological counselling, was also identified as vital in shaping teacher resilience. Furthermore, participants recommended reforms to teacher evaluation and management approaches to better support teacher resilience and well-being. This study contributes to the expanding body of literature on teacher resilience in Chinese HE by adopting an ecological perspective, offering nuanced insights into how EFL teachers, and educators more broadly, navigate the multifaceted challenges of their professional roles. Drawing on the study’s findings, practical recommendations are proposed for EFL teachers, university administrators and policymakers.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

other

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Wales Trinity Saint David

Year dc:date.issued

2026

Author dc:creator

• Wang, Rui

• BF Seicoleg
• LB2300 Addysg Uwch

Dc Identifier Grantnumber

UWTSD

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repository.uwtsd.ac.uk:4310