Psychological capital of teachers of English as a foreign language and classroom management: Well-being as a mediator

Research indicates psychological capital (PsyCap) plays a crucial role in the workplace; however, in an educational context, its effect is yet to be established. In this study we explored the role of well-being, comprising the domains of positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and achievement, in mediating the relationship between PsyCap and the classroom management of teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL). Participants were 486 Chinese EFL teachers employed at 19 universities in Zhejiang Province. The results of structural equation modeling demonstrated that the well-being of EFL teachers was significant in mediating the relationship between their PsyCap and classroom management. The findings from the study imply great importance of well-being in EFL classroom management and we have provided recommendations for future research in this area.