EFL teachers’ perceptions of emotional literacy: A phenomenological investigation in Iran

The importance of emotional literacy (EL) in education is widely acknowledged, but the English as a foreign language (EFL) context has not been extensively investigated regarding how EFL teachers perceive their EL. To address this gap, this study adopted a phenomenological research design to explore EFL teachers' perceptions of EL in the Iranian EFL context. A purposive sampling technique was used to select 22 EFL teachers at secondary high schools in Borujerd City, including 14 males and 8 females. The required data were collected through reflective statements, classroom observations, and post-class discussions. The study's findings generated two overarching themes regarding the essence of EL: individual aspects (e.g., being motivated, being self-regulated, and being emotionally aware) and social aspects (e.g., being empathetic and being socially skilled). The results suggest that EL should be incorporated into pre-service and in-service teacher training programs to promote their teaching efficacy.