Meaningful work, a personally significant, purpose-driven construct, plays a pivotal role in education, where faculty dedication directly influences student success. This qualitative study employed grounded theory to explore the experiences of EFL faculty and develop a paradigm model of meaningful work. The study utilized semi-structured interviews to collect data from 19 participants, selected through purposive and snowball sampling techniques. The data were analyzed using constant comparative analysis, and theoretical saturation was achieved, ensuring the comprehensiveness of the analysis. This indicated that no new themes or insights surfaced, confirming the depth and rigor of the findings. The analysis revealed that meaningful work emerged as the central phenomenon, shaped by a dynamic interplay of factors. These included causal conditions (e.g., personal attributes, professional identity), contextual factors (e.g., organizational culture, workplace climate, resource availability), and intervening factors (e.g., job demands, personal issues, bureaucratic issues, and student issues). The faculty employed job-crafting strategies to enhance the meaningfulness of their work, which led to positive outcomes for students, teachers, and the organization. The resulting paradigm model presents a multifaceted framework, emphasizing the essential role of supportive environments that align closely with faculty values and principles. The study underscores the necessity of addressing causal, contextual, and intervening factors to cultivate meaningful work effectively. These findings have significant implications for faculty development programs, highlighting the importance of creating environments that reflect faculty values. By fostering meaningful work, institutions can better support faculty in their roles, ultimately benefiting both educators and students.
Sheikhi et al. (Thu,) studied this question.