Document Type : Research article
Authors
Assistant Professor, Department of English Language Teaching, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
While extensive research exists on learning anxiety, teaching anxiety remains a relatively unexplored area, especially in the context of technology integration and the emotional responses of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers. This study examined the effectiveness of low-, mid-, and high-tech interventions in reducing teaching anxiety among Iranian EFL teachers. Ninety-six Iranian EFL teachers were randomly divided into three groups of 32 participants each and received low-tech (e.g., peer collaboration), mid-tech (e.g., mobile apps), or high-tech (e.g., ChatGPT) interventions. The participants completed the Teacher Anxiety Scale before the interventions and self-reported their baseline anxiety levels. Then, each group attended a three-day workshop and was post-tested after a one-semester interval (50 days), enabling comparisons of anxiety levels among the groups. Quantitative data analysis revealed significant differences in anxiety levels among the groups, with the high- and mid-tech interventions showing greater efficacy in reducing teaching anxiety. Qualitative data from follow-up interviews with 10 participants from each group provided further insights into anxiety reduction factors at each tech-integration level, corroborating the quantitative findings. Practical implications and future research directions are discussed.
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