Abstract

This study investigates the effects of strengths-based peer coaching on novice ESL teacher well-being. Language teachers often face challenges in job security, teacher and financial status, institutional demands, and burnout. Novice ESL teachers especially face concerns about balancing teaching and student roles, building knowledge of the realities of teaching, and scaffolding a support system. The Virtues in Action Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS) was used to identify participants' strengths, and teachers were assigned a peer to collaborate with who shared similar strengths. These teachers met with their assigned peer coach eight times throughout the semester to discuss ways of implementing strengths in their responsibilities. This mixed-methods study used both quantitative and qualitative analysis on further survey data. Results showed spirituality, honesty, and kindness as the most common strengths. Using inductive thematic analysis of teachers' survey responses, researchers identified the main themes of advice as using specific strengths, pedagogy, student support, class management, use of resources, and work-life balance. These themes were then explored within well-being theory and it's PERMA model through thematic analysis, and we concluded that strengths-based peer coaching positively contributed to teacher well-being in relation to all five elements of PERMA. By analysis of students t tests, mild growth was identified in teachers' relationships with students and sense of well-being, and significant growth in teaching confidence, resilience, and coping skills, with perseverance measuring the most significant gains. These findings suggest that implementing strengths with peer collaboration are viable methods to overcome novice teacher challenges and promote professional and personal growth.

Degree

College and Department

Humanities; Linguistics

Rights

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