Proposing New Directions on the Research of Language Teacher Emotion Labor: A Systematic Review

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 7:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Feminist Practices/Emotional Labor: Examining Intersectional Educator Identity

Abstract

To clarify divergent theoretical confusions in language teacher emotion labor, this study answers recent calls to return to the concept’s critical roots in power. Our systematic review (N=70, 2015-2025) first maps the field, profiling its publication surge, geographical concentration, and methodological trends. From this diverse landscape, we then specifically synthesize the growing poststructuralist scholarship to propose a new model. It reveals teachers enact a “Spectrum of Agency”—catalyzed by emotional reflexivity—to navigate power relations. Crucially, this agency is shaped by intersecting identities (e.g., race, non-native status) and national contexts, creating divergent pathways to either burnout or empowerment. This study aruges for more comparative research to advance institutional change and educational equity.

Authors

• Xinyu Hui, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

• Qian Wang, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

• Haibo Gu, Soochow University

• Jeong Jin Yu, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University