Language Teacher Psychology in the Online Teaching Context: An Ecological Perspective Honggang Liu (2024). London and New York: Routledge, 200 Pages, ISBN: 978-1-032-79031-2
Year: 2025
Type: book-review
Abstract: Honggang Liu's (2024) monograph, Language Teacher Psychology in the Online Teaching Context: An Ecological Perspective, addresses a critical gap in research by investigating the psycho-affective dimensions (anxiety, self-efficacy, buoyancy, engagement) of Chinese EFL teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory (EST), the book employs a mixed-methods approach to analyze how multilayered ecological factors—from micro to chronosystems—shape teachers’ psychological experiences in online language education. Structured across seven chapters, it dedicates empirical sections to each psychological variable, revealing distinct models (e.g., a trifactorial anxiety structure) and moderate-to-high levels of buoyancy/engagement among teachers. While praised for its systematic design, research-informed insights, and practical implications for teacher well-being and policy, the book is critiqued for its narrow focus on the Chinese context, limited theoretical integration (e.g., omitting positive psychology), and structural resemblance to a thesis. Despite these limitations, the work offers a pioneering ecological framework for understanding language teacher psychology in crisis-mediated online environments, providing valuable guidance for educators, researchers, and policymakers seeking to foster supportive educational ecosystems.
Authors: Hongyan Liang, He Wang
Institution: Wenzhou University of Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Language and Linguistics
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4415052850
Cites:
Cited by:
Related to: