Occupational Stress and Turnover Intentions in L2 Teachers: The Mediating Roles of Teacher Grit, Psychological Well-Being, and Harmonious Passion

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In the contemporary age of ever-changing adaptations, transformations, and innovations in educational contexts, L2 teachers’ affective responses to pedagogical complexities are likely to impact their performance. This study investigated whether L2 teachers’ occupational stress predicts their turnover intentions via the mediation of grit, psychological well-being, and harmonious passion. The predictive effect of occupational stress on well-being through the mediation of harmonious passion and grit was also examined. The data were collected through a survey battery consisting of five validated instruments administered to 353 Iranian L2 teachers. The data were subjected to SEM analysis via SmartPLS. The results confirmed the direct associations except for a lack of a direct link between harmonious passion and turnover intention. The results of indirect paths further demonstrated the mediatory role of grit in the association between occupational stress and turnover intention. Harmonious passion did not function as a mediator between occupational stress and turnover intention; however, its mediatory role between occupational stress and psychological well-being was observed. The results showed that psychological well-being performs a mediatory role between occupational stress and turnover intention. Accordingly, it is suggested that L2 teachers’ emotional states could be regulated by continuing professional development programs and informal learning communities involving dialogic exchanges, mutual collaborations, and peer reflections.