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

Hongyan Liang; He Wang

Authors

Hongyan Liang Wenzhou University of Technology, China (Corresponding author) https://orcid.org/0009-0002-0244-3764
He Wang Wenzhou University of Technology, China (Corresponding author)

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.

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Author Biographies

Hongyan Liang, Wenzhou University of Technology, China (Corresponding author)

Dr. Hongyan Liang is an associate professor at Wenzhou University of Technology. She obtained a Doctor of Literature degree from the Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in June 2020. Dr. Liang has nearly two decades of teaching and research experience, specializing in English language, literature and applied linguistics in English education.

He Wang, Wenzhou University of Technology, China (Corresponding author)

He Wang, Ph.D., is a Professor at Wenzhou University of Technology, where he specializes in innovative interdisciplinary fields such as the comparative study of language philosophy, cross-cultural writing, and educational research.

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