Ecological factors shaping Vietnamese high-school EFL teacher well-being: an explanatory sequential mixed-methods study

Purpose The current research investigates the multi-level determinants of well-being in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in Vietnamese high schools from an ecological perspective to account for the interaction among individual, relational, and systemic factors. Locating teacher experiences from the perspective of Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems model, the current research seeks to clarify the relative importance of intrapersonal inclinations, interpersonal relationships and institutional environments. The general aim is to help provide a better understanding of how these dimensions collectively shape teachers' professional and personal flourishing, as well as to contribute to broader discourses on the psychology of teachers and the preservation of educational quality in developing settings. Design/methodology/approach Using an exploratory mixed-methods approach, the study integrates quantitative and qualitative data in an effort to offer depth and triangulation. The survey was administered to 193 secondary school EFL teachers across various geographical settings, and the data collected were analyzed descriptively and by regression analysis in SPSS. Further, 12 teachers' semi-structured interviews and focus groups created rich descriptions of contextualized experience, which were thematically coded. The conceptual framework is based on ecological systems theory, positive psychology and self-determination theory to facilitate a rigorous conceptual synthesis that illuminates the multi-layered determinants of teacher well-being in Vietnam's changing educational environment. Findings The findings indicate that Vietnamese high-school EFL teacher well-being is an unevenly visible ecological phenomenon. Quantitatively, Personal Growth and Life Purpose were the strongest positive predictors of Teachers' Well-being, while Relational–Contextual Support showed a weak and statistically non-significant coefficient. Qualitatively, teachers' accounts revealed that well-being was also shaped by autonomy, emotion management, workload intensification, policy implementation, school culture, income stability, work–life balance, public visibility, community expectations and sociohistorical change. Integrated together, the findings suggest that some dimensions of well-being are captured by survey measures, whereas others emerge more clearly through teachers' lived professional experiences. Research limitations/implications There are some drawbacks to the present study. First, the questionnaire adopted a cross-sectional design and collected subjective information, and thus no causal relationships can be established. Second, the qualitative data set was modest in size and was designed for interpretative purposes, not representative purposes. Third, the model was developed through exploratory factor analysis and reduction; consequently, it is advisable that future researchers conduct confirmatory analyses with large, diverse samples. Future studies are also recommended to explore the relationship between teachers' well-being and various contextual factors such as the type of schools, geographical region, gender, stage of teaching career and institutional setting. Practical implications The research highlights the importance of policymakers and school leaders establishing systemic supports that reverse workload demands, enable collegial collaboration and enhance professional development routes. The use of systematic well-being practices, such as mentoring, emotional intelligence coaching and well-being programs, needs to be mainstreamed into school culture. In response to the effects of technological and social pressures, programs should offer social media monitoring education alongside policy-driven educational reforms. These realistic strategies, if applied, have the capacity to develop teacher resilience, improve levels of retention and therefore ensure quality teaching and learning in Vietnam's secondary education system. Social implications Improved EFL teacher well-being has implications at a level above individuals in the sense that it improves the quality of class interaction, generates more positive learning environments and accelerates pupils' academic and socio-emotional growth. School systems can prevent teacher turnover, establish public school trust within the community and ensure equal access to education through investment in teacher well-being. In settings such as Vietnam, where national development imperatives are prioritized in language education, the research has implications supporting balanced systemic change for aligning teacher well-being with sustainable social development and education for justice. Originality/value This study contributes a context-sensitive account of EFL teacher well-being in an under-researched Southeast Asian school context. Its originality lies in showing that teacher well-being is an unevenly visible ecological phenomenon: Personal Growth and Life Purpose were statistically consolidated in the survey model, whereas workload, policy pressure, public visibility, material conditions and sociohistorical change emerged more clearly through teachers' qualitative accounts. The study also adds methodological value by integrating survey-based modeling with qualitative ecological inquiry, demonstrating how mixed-methods analysis can capture both measurable predictors and lived contextual influences on language teacher well-being.