Exploring the Relationship between Iranian EFL Teachers’ Professional Identity and Job Satisfaction in Virtual Environments

Job satisfaction (JS) is a crucial component of the professional domain, as it can affect productivity and teacher professional identity (TPI), specifically in distance and online education contexts and virtual environments. The analysis of TPI encompasses personal, social, and institutional perspectives which examines how teachers’ identities are influenced by their experiences, socioeconomic backgrounds, and societal perceptions of the teaching profession. The current ex-post-facto survey investigated the association between Iranian EFL teachers’ TPI and online JS in online working environments. The research participants comprised 144 teachers who had been purposefully selected from a population of 350 teachers running online classes through different educational platforms at private language institutes. The research data were collected through a 38-item JS scale and a 37-item TPI scale. The statistical analysis of the research data indicated a weak positive relationship between TPI’s personal, institutional, and social factors and JS. The study offers valuable insights for educational policymakers and administrators and underscores the significance of TPI.