ABSTRACT
In response to the lack of research on how assessment-related feedback could function as a source of emotional tensions for teachers, the present study explored emotion labor (EL) arising from providing feedback on teachers’ assessment practices among Iranian English-language teachers working in a private school. Data were collected from narrative frames and semi-structured interviews as situated in a case-study design. Data analyses revealed four categories defining the teachers’ assessment-driven EL: (1) differential levels of emotion labor across proficiency levels, (2) teachers’ lack of attention to assessment-driven feedback, (3) feedback as limiting agency by creating negative emotions, and (4) feedback as negatively influencing teachers’ sense of belonging. We found that inappropriate feedback on teachers’ instruction and assessment could engender negative emotions and increase staff turnover. Based on the findings, we provide implications for teacher educators to adapt their feedback provision to teachers’ emotions and run professional development courses that enhance teachers’ acceptance and awareness of feedback.
