A narrative inquiry into the resilience of novice middle school English teachers in China: Negative emotions as a catalyst for change

This narrative inquiry examines how two novice middle school English teachers in China transform negative emotions into professional resilience. Through narrative analysis of in-depth interviews, guided by Mansfield et al.’s (2012) resilience framework, the study reveals how negative emotions catalyse growth across profession-related, emotional, motivational, and social dimensions. Findings show that with adequate support, negative experiences can foster more sophisticated pedagogical approaches, enhanced emotional regulation strategies, deeper professional commitment, and stronger support networks. By demonstrating this transformative process and proposing a revised theoretical model, this study offers crucial insights for teacher education programs on leveraging professional challenges for sustained growth. • Negative emotions act as a catalyst for novice teacher resilience. • Challenges foster sophisticated pedagogical and emotional strategies. • Adversity strengthens professional identity and support networks. • A revised model shows how negative emotions can spur resilience development.