Mediating Job Satisfaction Among English Medium Instruction Teachers in Vietnamese Universities

Abstract

On the basis that EMI teachers’ job satisfaction is integral to the successful implementation of EMI within universities, we believe that institutions need to consider this aspect more closely when attempting to move forward educationally with their EMI offerings to students. Consequently, this qualitative research investigates factors influencing EMI teachers’ job satisfaction at one Vietnamese university, using (Hagedorn, Hagedorn (ed), New directions for institutional research, Jossey-Bass, 2000) framework of faculty job satisfaction. In-depth interviews with 16 content teachers were conducted with the subsequent utilisation of Nvivo 11 for data analysis. The results showed particular factors functioning as ‘motivators’ in promoting EMI teachers’ job satisfaction, namely achievement, recognition, and advancement. On the other hand, some factors were shown to produce demotivating effects, and could be constructed as what Hagedorn refers to as ‘hygienes’. Hygienes identified were: unsatisfactory payment, inadequate teaching resources, lack of research-related support, students’ English deficiency, lack of professional training and support, and the impossibility of translating beliefs into practices due to the strength of other ‘hygienes’, a new finding. Overall, these research results offer significant implications for fostering EMI teachers’ job satisfaction both at the host university and other institutions of similar context, with the ultimate goal of promoting sustainable development for EMI teachers and EMI university programs in Vietnam.