Do positive emotions spark creativity? Unpacking the role of positive emotions in EFL teachers' creativity

Teacher creativity is widely recognized as a cornerstone of effective and engaging instruction, particularly in second and foreign language (L2) classrooms. Despite its importance, the emotional factors behind teaching creatively remain underexplored. To address this gap, the current study adopted a phenomenological approach to uncover the positive emotions that inspire creativity among English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers. It also sought to examine the ways in which these emotions shape and enhance creative teaching practices in EFL classrooms. To achieve this objective, 24 EFL teachers who were selected through maximum variation sampling engaged with an open-ended questionnaire and a narrative frame. The findings drawn from the six-phase thematic analysis evinced that enjoyment (f = 12), passion (f = 10), gratitude (f = 8), hope (f = 7), and pride (f = 5) were positive emotions contributing to EFL teachers' creativity. Furthermore, it was divulged that these positive emotions contributed to teachers' creativity through enhancing intrinsic motivation, increasing self-confidence, and broadening cognitive flexibility. These findings underscore the critical role of emotional experiences in fostering creativity among L2 teachers and suggest that nurturing positive emotions in instructional environments may serve as a pathway to more innovative teaching practices.