Factors that promote teacher well-being - a qualitative study among Andalusian secondary CLIL teachers

Aug 21, 2026

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This study examines factors that promote well-being among content and language integrated learning (CLIL) secondary teachers in Andalusia, Spain. A qualitative design used in-depth interviews with ten educators to explore personal, professional, and social determinants of teacher well-being. Results emphasize self-acceptance, resilience, institutional support, and financial stability as key contributors, while social relationships inside and outside school shape teachers’ perceptions. Stress-management strategies—physical exercise, humor, and psychological support—help mitigate burnout, and foreign-language teaching supports identity and growth despite added cognitive and emotional strain. Structural constraints such as workload, bureaucracy, and limited autonomy hinder sustained well-being. The study supports policy and teacher-training attention to teacher well-being.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages20

Reading Time50 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

CLIL in European and Andalusian contexts

Teacher well-being challenges and research gaps

Journal of linguistics, philology and translation Special Issue – XVI – Additional Language Teaching and Learning: Culture, Affect, and Digital Society 2 0 2 5 Factors that promote teacher well-being: a qualitative study among Andalusian secondary CLIL teachers Raúl Ruiz Cecilia University of Granada Spain Leopoldo Medina Sánchez University of Granada Spain Slava López Rodríguez Rey Juan Carlos University Spain ONOMÁZEIN | Special Issue XVI Additional Language Teaching and Learning: Culture, Affect, and Digital Society: 68-87 DOI: [10.7764/onomazein. ne16.04](10.7764/onomazein. ne16.04) ISSN: 0718-5758 Raúl Ruiz Cecilia: Department of Language and Literature Teaching, University of Granada, Spain. ORCID: 0000-0002-8119-549X. | E-mail: [raulruiz@ugr.es](raulruiz@ugr.es) Leopoldo Medina Sánchez: Department of Language and Literature Teaching, University of Granada, Spain. ORCID: 0000-0002-0643-2491 . | E-mail: [leoms@ugr.es](leoms@ugr.es) Slava López Rodríguez: Department of Foreign Languages, Translation and Interpreting, Rey Juan Carlos Uni versity, Spain. ORCID: 0000-0002-9360-3518 . | E-mail: [slava.lopez@urjc.es](slava.lopez@urjc.es) Received: January, 2025 Accepted: March, 2025 ONOMÁZEIN | Special Issue XVI-Additional Language Teaching and Learning: Culture...: 68-87 Raúl Ruiz Cecilia, Leopoldo Medina Sánchez and Slava López Rodríguez Factors that promote teacher well-being: a qualitative study among Andalusian secondary CLIL... 69 Abstract This study examines the factors that promote well-being among content and language integrated learning (CLIL) secondary teachers in Andalusia, Spain. Using a qualitative approach, in-depth interviews were conducted with ten educators to explore the personal, professional, and social determinants of teacher well-being. The findings highlight that self-acceptance, resilience, institutional support, and financial stability are key contributors to overall well-being. Social relationships, both within and outside the school environment, emerged as crucial elements in shaping teachers' perceptions of well-being. The study further identifies stress-management strategies, including physical exercise, humor, and psychological support, as essential in mitigating professional burnout. Additionally, while teaching through a foreign language poses cognitive and emotional challenges, participants reported that it positively influenced their professional identity and personal growth. The role of foreign language teaching is particularly significant, serving not only as a pedagogical tool but also as a means of fostering identity, resilience, and professional satisfaction. However, structural challenges such as excessive workload, bureaucratic constraints, and lack of institutional autonomy remain obstacles to sustained well-being. The research underscores the importance of recognizing and addressing teacher well-being within educational policies and teacher training programs. Keywords: teacher well-being; foreign language; CLIL; teacher training. ONOMÁZEIN | Special Issue XVI-Additional Language Teaching and Learning: Culture...: 68-87 Raúl Ruiz Cecilia, Leopoldo Medina Sánchez and Slava López Rodríguez Factors that promote teacher well-being: a qualitative study among Andalusian secondary CLIL... 70 1. Introduction1 The teaching profession is widely recognized as highly emotionally demanding and is often characterized by elevated levels of work-related stress. This frequently leads to job dissatisfaction, adverse mental and physical health outcomes, and long-term disengagement from the profession. In this context, Johnson and others (2005) underscored that teachers experience approximately twice the levels of stress and discomfort experienced by many occupations. In Western countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States, a significant proportion of teachers leave the profession within their initial years of se

FAQs

What approach does the study use to explore teacher well-being?

The study uses a qualitative approach with in-depth interviews conducted with ten CLIL secondary teachers in Andalusia, Spain to examine personal, professional, and social determinants.

Which factors are identified as key contributors to teacher well-being?

Self-acceptance, resilience, institutional support, and financial stability are highlighted as key contributors, alongside social relationships both within and outside school.

How does teaching through a foreign language affect teachers’ well-being?

Although it creates cognitive and emotional challenges, participants report positive effects on professional identity and personal growth, helping support overall well-being.

Aug 21, 2026

Upload by Liam