The research group for well-being in language education introduces itself
We have established a special research group at the Department of English Studies at the University of Graz that focuses on the well-being of language teachers and learners. It reflects the core research interests of several members of staff, as well as graduate students, who are studying ways of improving the well-being of both learners and teachers involved in language education.
We work to explore the most challenging and exciting issues in language education through rigorous research, outstanding teaching activities and partnerships with practitioners, educators, researchers and policy makers worldwide. Our aim is to promote sustainable well-being in society worldwide.
Our mission statement: Be well, teach well, learn well
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), health is a state of total physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease.
Any sustainable vision for the future must be built upon the rights of all citizens to mental and physical health. Educators are in a key position to systematically contribute to promoting and supporting the well-being and health literacy of themselves and their learners. Well-being is an essential life skill and we cannot leave its development to chance. We believe that language education can play a central role in integrating the teaching of life skills, including well-being competences alongside linguistic skills. Inspired by 'Positive Education', we have named our approach to language and life skills 'Positive Language Education'. Ultimately, we believe that an integrative approach to language and well-being can be motivating and empowering for both teachers and learners.
A well-being agenda requires sustainable and systematic institutional and policy support. An essential first step is to make language teacher well-being a priority. We must begin by supporting and nurturing the well-being of teachers so that they are in the best possible position to positively model and teach well-being life skills to their learners alongside language. Teacher and learner well-being are two sides of the same coin (Roffey, 2012).
The team of the research group introduces itself
Sarah Mercer
Sarah Mercer is Professor of Foreign Language Teaching at the University of Graz, in Austria, where she is Head of the Section of ELT Research and Methodology and Deputy Head of the Department of English Studies. Her research interests include all aspects of psychology related to the learning and teaching of foreign languages. She is the author, co-author and co-editor of several books in this area, including Towards an Understanding of Language Learner Self-Concept, Psychology for Language Learning, Multiple Perspectives on the Self in SLA, New Directions in Language Learning Psychology, Positive Psychology in SLA, Exploring Psychology for Language Teachers (winner of the IH Ben Warren Prize), Language Teacher Psychology and Teacher Wellbeing.
Research interests: Sarah Mercer's research interests lie in all aspects of language learning psychology (teacher and learner perspectives), particularly in self-related constructs, engagement, agency, affect, belief systems and well-being.
Julia Aigner
Julia Aigner is a pre-doctoral research assistant at the ELT Research and Methodology Department. In her dissertation, she will focus on various aspects of wellbeing surrounding lateral entrants in the Austrian school system. Since 2023, she has also been significantly involved in the Augustinum Wellbeing Project, a cooperation with the Bischöfliches Gymnasium Graz, which deals with the well-being of secondary school students. Julia Aigner is also a qualified English and music teacher for secondary schools.
Research interests: Julia Aigner's research interests lie in all aspects of the psychology of language learning and teaching, in particular the well-being of teachers and learners, including teachers with other professional backgrounds.
Gholam Hassan Khajavy Fadafen
Gholam Hassan Khajavy Fadafen is a post-doctoral researcher at the ELT Research and Methodology section. In his research, he examines the role of individual differences such as emotions and mindsets in relation to the performance and well-being of foreign language learners and teachers. He has published in various international journals, including TESOL Quarterly, Studies in Second Language Acquisition, Language Learning and Contemporary Educational Psychology.
His main research interests lie at the intersection of the psychology of language learning and teaching and instructed second language acquisition in the classroom.
Sabrina Moser
Sabrina Moser is a Master's degree student at the ELT Research and Methodology Department. She is in the teacher education program for English and Geography and Economic Education in Graz. She successfully completed her Bachelor's degree and is currently continuing her studies in the Master's program, which she is expected to complete soon. She has been working as a student assistant (STUMAF) since September 2025. In addition to her work at the institute, she is involved in the Teacher Compassion Project at the Augustinum, where she contributes to the planning and implementation of the project. She is also writing her Master's thesis under the supervision of Prof. Mercer. Research interests: Sabrina’s research interests include teacher well-being, sustainability, gender studies and language teacher education.
Carlos Murillo-Miranda
Carlos Murillo-Miranda is currently a PhD student at the ELT Research and Methodology section and is working on his dissertation entitled "An ecological perspective on Costa Rican EFL teachers' identities and wellbeing".
Research interests: Carlos' research interests include all aspects of the psychology of language learning and teaching, particularly language learners' and teachers' well-being and language teachers' identities.
Siying Shen
Siying Shen is a post-doctoral researcher at the ELT Research and Methodology Section in the Department of English Studies at the University of Graz. She holds a PhD in Education (University of Leeds, UK) and is particularly interested in qualitative and participatory approaches to engagement, multilingualism, and well-being in language learning and teaching contexts. Her research has appeared in international journals including Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching. She has also led arts-based workshops with language learners and teachers as part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science. She has previously worked as an ELT practitioner in higher education in both China and the UK. Research interests: psychology of language learning and teaching, in particular motivation, engagement, well-being, and multilingualism, with a focus on longitudinal qualitative approaches.
e-mail
Dávid Smid
Dávid Smid is a post-doctoral researcher at the ELT Research and Methodology section. He has a PhD in Educational Sciences (Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary). His publications include a self-authored monograph entitled Toward an understanding of pre-service English teachers' motivation: The case of Hungary (Akadémiai Kiadó, 2022) and a forthcoming monograph entitled Motivation, autonomy, and emotions in foreign language learning: A nation-wide multi-perspective investigation in Hungary (Multilingual Matters, 2024). He is currently an associate editor of the Journal for the Psychology of Language Learning.
Research interests: Psychology of language learners and language teachers, language teacher education, motivation, positive psychology.
Jasrael Stokes
Jasrael Stokesis a post-doctoral researcher at the ELT Research and Methodology in the Department of English at the University of Graz. Her research takes a multimodal approach to longitudinally examine the contagion and synchronicity of student and teacher engagement in the language classroom. Jasrael’s research interests include all areas of the psychology of language learning, and in particular, the impact of teacher and learner emotions and cognition on communication outcomes.
Sophie Thurner
Sophie Thurner is currently pursuing her PhD at the Section of ELT Research and Methodology in the Department of English at the University of Graz. Her research interests include all aspects of the psychology of language learning and teaching, especially research concerned with engagement, wellbeing, and multilingualism.
Publications of the research group
Smid, D., & Mercer, S. (2026). The Psychology of language teachers: Cognition, affect, and motivation. Elements in Language Teaching. Cambridge University Press.
Sulis, G., Haukås, Å., & Mercer, S. (Eds.). (2026). Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Psychology of Multilingual Learners and Teachers. Routledge.
Clare, A., Gregersen, T., & Mercer, S. (2025). Positive Language Education: Teaching Global Life Skills in the Language Classroom. Taylor & Francis.
Mercer, S. (2025). Compassion-based Language Education (EPUB). Oxford University Press.
Sulis, G., Mercer, S., Babic, S., & Mairitsch, A. (2023). Language Teacher Wellbeing across the Career Span. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.
Mercer, S., & Puchta, H. (2023). 101 psychological tips for language teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Mercer, S., & Gregersen, T. (2020). Teacher wellbeing. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Mercer, S. & Dörnyei, Z. (2020). Engaging Language Learners in Contemporary Classrooms. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Gkonou, C. & Mercer, S. (2017). Understanding Emotional and Social Intelligence among English Language Teachers. London: British Council. [Research report].
Williams, M., Mercer, S. & Ryan. S. (2015). Exploring Psychology in Language Learning and Teaching . Oxford Handbooks for Language Teachers. Oxford: Oxford University Press. [Winner of the 2015 IH Ben Warren prize].
Gregersen, T., & Mercer, S. (Eds.). (2022). The Routledge Handbook of Language Learning Psychology. New York: Routledge.
Hiver, P., Al-Hoorie, A. H., & Mercer, S. (Eds.). (2020). Student Engagement in the Language Classroom. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.
Mercer, S.,& Kostoulas, A. (Eds.) (2018). Language Teacher Psychology. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.
MacIntyre, P., Gregersen, T. & Mercer, S. (Eds.) (2016). Positive Psychology in SLA. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.
Gkonou, C., Tatzl, D. & Mercer, S. (Eds.) (2015). New Directions in Language Learning Psychology. Cham: Springer.
Mercer, S., Ryan, S. & Williams, M. (Eds.) (2012). Psychology for Language Learning: Insights from Research, Theory & Practice. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan.
2026
Smid, D., Murillo-Miranda, C., Sulis, G., Khajavy, G. H., Öztürk, G., Stokes, J., Vaziri, M., & Mercer, S. (2026). A data-based model of language teachers’ psychological literacy. Language Teaching Research, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688261436771
Mercer, S., & Gregersen, T. (2026). The role of institutions in language teacher educator well‐being: Unpacking the third pillar of positive psychology. The Modern Language Journal. https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.70058
Sulis, G., & Mercer, S. (2026). Engagement with English beyond the classroom: A qualitative study with middle school Austrian students. System, 104034. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2026.104034
Khajavy, G. H., Smid, D., Mercer, S., Murillo-Miranda, C., Mairitsch, A., Sulis, G., ... & Mairi, S. (2026). Pride in language teaching: Scale development and associations with work engagement, wellbeing, and burnout. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching. https://doi.org/10.14746/ssllt.46812
Mercer, S., Gregersen, T., Thompson, A. S., & Yim, S. Y. (2026). It's Not You, It's the System: Women Professors in TESOL and the Persistence of Gender Bias. TESOL Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.70069
Hay, A., MacIntyre, P. D., Gregersen, T., & Mercer, S. (2026). Language teacher stress and growth during trauma throughout the COVID-19 pandemic: The mediating roles of resilience and well-being. Language Teaching Research, 13621688251400725. https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688251400725
2025
Sulis, G., Mairitsch, A., & Mercer, S. (2025). ‘The more languages you know, the better you are’: learners’ pride in being multilingual and their motivation for language learning. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2025.2576616
Zandi, M., Weisi, H., & Mercer, S. (2025). Multilevel engagement in academic L2 reading: Developing and validating a scale. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 77, 101563. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2025.101563
Botes, E., Resnik, P., Moskowitz, S., Dewaele, J.-M., Mercer, S., & Greiff, S. (2025). A Tangled Web: Learner Autonomy as a Predictor of Learner Emotions, Willingness to Communicate and Academic Achievement in Online Language Learning. Language Teaching Research Quarterly, 48, 10-29. https://www.doi.org/10.32038/ltrq.2025.48.02
Mercer, S., & Murillo-Miranda, C. (2025). Research agenda on well-being and language education. Language Teaching, 1–19. https://www.doi.org/10.1017/S0261444825000060
Mercer, S., Murillo-Miranda, C., & Smid, D. (2025). The Invisible Influencers: Understanding the Motivation, Emotions, and Well-Being of Language Teacher Educators. The Journal for the Psychology of Language Learning, 7(1), 27-44. https://doi.org/10.52598/jpll/7/1/3
Smid, D., & Mercer, S. (2025). Introduction to the Special Issue: Local Perspectives on Language Teacher Motivation and Engagement. The Journal for the Psychology of Language Learning, 7(1), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.52598/jpll/7/1/1
Yim, S. Y., & Mercer, S. (2025). Teaching English on a desert island: Primary school teachers' emotional experiences and professional identities. System, 128, 103553. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2024.103553
Khajavy, G. H., Smid, D., Mercer, S., & Murillo-Miranda, C. (2025). Embarrassment in English language classrooms: Conceptualization, antecedents, and consequences. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1017/S027226312400072X
Sulis, G., & Mercer, S. (2025). The choreography of engagement in the language classroom: Exploring the dynamic interplay between learner and teacher engagement. Learning and Individual Differences, 117, 102586. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2024.102586
2024
Smid, D., Mercer, S., Murillo-Miranda, C., & Baum, M. T. (2024). Understanding the Well-Being Literacy of EFL Learners: Towards a Framework of Learners’ Knowledge and Skills. The Canadian Modern Language Review, 80(4), 333-353. https://doi.org/10.3138/cmlr-2023-0049
Acosta-Manzano, I., & Mercer, S. (2024). English foreign language teachers’ beliefs about adult learners’ engagement. The Language Learning Journal, 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2024.2370977
Sulis, G., Mairitsch, A., Babic, S., Mercer, S., & Resnik, P. (2024). ELT teachers’ agency for wellbeing. ELT Journal, 78(2), 198-206. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccad050
Mercer, S., & Pawlak, M. (2024). Language teacher professional curiosity: Understanding the drive for professional development. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 14(3), 393-420. https://doi.org/10.14746/ssllt.39293
Mercer, S. (2024). System's 50th anniversary special issue: In conversation with Sarah Mercer. System, 120, 103206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2023.103206
King, J., Almukhaild, H., Mercer, S., Babic, S., Mairitsch, A., & Sulis, G. (2024). Teacher emotions and the emotional labour of modern language (ML) teachers working in UK secondary schools. International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching, 62(3), 1213-1235. https://doi.org/10.1515/iral-2024-0080
2023
Mercer, S. (2023). The wellbeing of language teachers in the private sector: An ecological perspective. Language Teaching Research, 27(5), 1054-1077. https://doi. org/10.1177/1362168820973510
Mairitsch, A., Sulis, G., Mercer, S., Shin, S., & Mairi, S. (2023 - Advanced Access). "They are our future": Professional pride in language teachers across the globe. TESOL Quarterly. https://doi. org/10.1002/tesq.3259
Babic, S., Mairitsch, A., Mercer, S., Sulis, G., & King, J. (2023). Language teachers' capitals as resources for wellbeing across the career trajectories. European Journal of Teacher Education, 1-19.
Sulis, G., Mairitsch, A., Babic, S., Mercer, S., Shin, S., & Csizér, K. (2023). Language teacher wellbeing and psychological capital. Konin Language Studies, 10(2), 119-142. https://doi. org/10.30438/ksj.2022.10.2.1
Mairitsch, A., Babic, S., Mercer, S., Sulis, G., & Shin, S. (2023). The role of compassion during the shift to online teaching and its effect on language teacher wellbeing. Theory and Practice of Second Language Acquisition, 1-22. https://doi.org/10.31261/TAPSLA.13123
Shin, S., Mercer, S., Babic, S., Sulis, G., Mairitsch, A., King, J., & Jin, J. (2023). Riding the happiness curve: The wellbeing of mid-career phase language teachers. The Language Learning Journal, 51(2), 195-207. https://doi. org/10.1080/09571736.2021.1979632
2022
Babic, S., Mairitsch, A., Mercer, S., Sulis, G., Jin, J., King, J., Lanvers, U., & Shin, S. (2022). Late-career language teachers in Austria and the UK: Pathways to retirement. Teaching and Teacher Education, 113, 1-10.
Babic, S., Mercer, S., Mairitsch, A., Gruber, J., Hempkin, K. (2022). Language teacher wellbeing in the workplace: Balancing needs. Theory and Practice of Second Language Acquisition, 8(1), 11-34.
Sulis, G., Babic, S., Mairitsch, A., Mercer, S., Jin, J., King, J. (2022). Retention and attrition in early-career foreign language teachers in Austria and the United Kingdom. The Modern Language Journal, 106(1), 155-171.
Babic, S., Platzer, K., Gruber, J., & Mercer, S. (2022). Positive language education: Teaching beyond language. Humanising Language Teaching, 24(5). https://www. hltmag.co.uk/oct22/positive-language-education
2021
Sulis, G., Mercer, S., Mairitsch, A., Babic, S., & Shin, S. (2021). Pre-service teacher wellbeing as a Complex Dynamic System. System, 103, 1-14.
Shin, S., Mercer, S., Babic, S., Sulis, G., Mairitsch, A., Jin, J., & King, J. (2021). Riding the happiness curve: The wellbeing of mid-career-stage language teachers. The Language Learning Journal.
Mercer, S. (2021). An agenda for well-being in ELT: An ecological perspective. ELT Journal, 75(1), 1-8.
Mairitsch, A., Babic, S., Mercer, S., Jin, J., Sulis, G., & King, J. (2021). Being a student, becoming a teacher: The wellbeing of pre-service language teachers in Austria and the UK. Teacher and Teaching Education, 106(103462).
Mercer, S. (2021). An agenda for well-being in ELT: an ecological perspective. ELT Journal, 75(1), 1-8.
Jin, J., Mercer, S., Babic, S., & Mairitsch, A. (2021). 'You just appreciate every little kindness': Chinese language teachers' wellbeing in the UK. System, 96, 1-12.
2020
Mercer, S. (2020). The wellbeing of language teachers in the private sector: An ecological perspective. Language Teaching Research.
MacIntyre, Gregersen, & Mercer S. (2020). Language teachers' coping strategies during the Covid-19 conversion to online teaching: Correlations with stress, wellbeing and negative emotions. System, 94, 102352.
Hofstadler, N., Babic, S., Lämmerer, A., Mercer, S. & Oberdorfer, P. (2020). The ecology of CLIL teachers in Austria: An ecological perspective on CLIL teachers' wellbeing. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching.
Hessel, G., Talbot, K., Gruber, M., & Mercer, S. (2020). The wellbeing and job satisfaction of secondary CLIL & tertiary EMI teachers. Journal for the Psychology of Language Learning, 2(2), 73-91.
Gruber, M.-T., Hofstadler, N., Lämmerer, A., & Mercer, S. (2020). Flourishing or floundering? Factors contributing to CLIL primary teachers' wellbeing. CLIL Journal of Innovation and Research in Plurilingual and Pluricultural Education, 3(1), 19-34.
Gregersen, T., Mercer, S., MacIntyre, P., Talbot, K., & Banga, C. A. (2020). Understanding language teacher wellbeing: An ESM study of daily stressors and uplifts. Language Teaching Research.
Dewaele, J.-M., Mercer, S., Talbot, K., & von Blanckenburg, M. (2020). Are EFL pre-service teachers' judgments of teaching competence swayed by belief that the EFL teacher is an L1 or LX user of English? European Journal of Applied Linguistics.
2019
Talbot, K., & Mercer, S. (2019). Exploring University ESL/EFL Teachers' Emotional Well-being and Emotional Regulation in the United States, Japan and Austria. Chinese Journal of Applied Linguistics, 41(4), 410-432 [Special Issue on Teacher Emotions].
Ončevska Ager, E., & Mercer, S. (2019). Positivity for teacher wellbeing: A training course to help language teachers flourish. The Teacher Trainer Journal, 33(1), 20-22.
MacIntyre, P., Ross, J., Talbot, K., Mercer, S., Gregersen, T., & Banga, C.-A. (2019). Stressors, personality and wellbeing among language teachers. System, 82, 26-38.
2018
Mercer, S. (2018). Getting interested in the psychology of language learning. ELT Research, 33, 7-9.
Mercer, S. (2018). Connecting minds: Language learner and teacher psychologies. In Pattison, T. (Ed.), IATEFL Conference Selections (pp. 10-19). Faversham: IATEFL.
Gkonou, C., Mercer, S. & Daubney, M., (2018). Teacher perspectives on language learning psychology. Language Learning Journal, 46(4), 501-513.
2017
Mercer, S. (2017). Positive psychology in SLA: An agenda for teacher and learner wellbeing. Australian Review of Applied Linguistics, 40(2), 100-122.
Mercer, S. (2017). Exploring psychology in language learning and teaching. In T. Pattison (Ed.), IATEFL 2016 Birmingham Conference Selections (pp. 20-21). Faversham: IATEFL.
2016
Gkonou, C., Daubney, M. & Mercer, S. (2016). Teacher perspectives on language learning psychology. Language Learning Journal, 1-13.
2007
Mercer, S. (2007). Understanding the English language learner self-concept. In: Beaven, B. (Ed.), IATEFL 2006 Harrogate Conference Selections. (pp. 177 - 179). Canterbury: IATEFL
2025
Haukås, Å., & Mercer, S. (2025). Experienced language teachers’ mindsets regarding their own professional development. In A. Leis, Å. Haukås, N. M. Lou, & S. Nakamura (Eds.), Mindsets in language education (pp. 169–186). Multilingual Matters.
2024
Babic, S., & Mercer, S. (2024). Understanding the Ecology of Language Teacher Well-Being: Theory and Practice. In C. Ludwig, T. Summer, M. Eisenmann, D. Becker, & N. Krüger (Eds.), Mental Health in English Language Education (pp. 209–220). Narr Francke Attempto Verlag.
Mercer, S. (2024). Foreword: Language teacher wellbeing. In Feryok, A. (Ed.), Language teacher identity and wellbeing (pp. xvii-xix). Bristol: Multilingual Matters.
2023
Mercer, S. (2023). Well-being and language learning. In C. A. Chapelle & M. Sato (Eds.), The Encyclopedia of applied linguistics, second edition: Instructed second language acquisition. Wiley-Blackwell.
Dewaele, J.-M., Mercer, S., & Gkonou, C. (2023). Attitudinal, motivational, and socio-biographical predictors of EFL teachers' well-being. In C. M. Amerstrofer & M. van Blanckenburg (Eds.), Activating and Engaging Learners and Teachers: Perspectives for English Language Education (pp. 97-116). Tübingen: Narr.
Mercer, S. (2023). Wellbeing in language education. In P. E. Gębal, C. Kiński, S. Mercer, S. A. Nowak, & M. Szulc-Kurpaska (Eds.), Teaching and Learning English: Education for Life (pp. 17-32). Poland: PWN.
2021
Talbot, K., & Mercer, S. (2021). Language teacher well-being. In H. Mohebbi & C. Coombe (Eds.), Research Questions in Language Education and Applied Linguistics. Heidelberg: Springer.
Mercer, S., & Talbot, K. (in press). Ripples in the system: The complexity and dynamics of multilingual EMI tertiary-level teacher identities. In Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Multilingualism and Identity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Jin, J., Mercer, S., & Talbot, K. (2021). EMI Teacher Identity, Language Use and Reported Behaviors in Austrian Higher Education. In K. Talbot, M.-T. Gruber, & R. Nishida (Eds.). The psychological experience of integrating content and language. Multilingual Matters.
Jin, J., Mercer, S., Babic, S., & Mairitsch, A. (2021). Understanding the ecology of foreign language teacher wellbeing. In K. Budzińska & O. Majchrzak (Eds.), Education in the Light of Positive Psychology. Springer.
2020
Jin, J., Mercer, S., Babic, S. & Mairitsch, A. (2020). Identities of European-based transnational researchers in TESOL: An ecological perspective. In B. Yazan, S. Canagarajah, & R. Jain (Eds.), Autoethnographies in ELT: Transnational identities, pedagogies, and practices (pp. 161-182). New York: Routledge.
Mercer, S., & Gkonou, C. (2020). Relationships and the good language teacher. In C. Griffiths (Ed.). The good language teacher. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
2019
Mercer, S. (2019). Language teacher psychology research in LTE. In G. Barkhuizen (Ed.), Qualitative Research Topics in Language Education (pp. 50-55). London: Routledge.
2018
Dewaele, J.-M. & Mercer, S. (2018). The duet of teacher and student emotions in foreign language classes. In S. Mercer & A. Kostoulas (Eds.), Language Teacher Psychology (pp. 178-195). Bristol: Multilingual Matters.
2016
Mercer, S., Oberdorfer, P. & Saleem, M. (2016). Helping language teachers to thrive: Using positive psychology to promote teachers' professional well-being. In D. Gabryś-Barker & D. Gałajda (Eds.), Positive Psychology Perspectives on Foreign Language Learning and Teaching, Second Language Learning and Teaching (pp. 213-229). Switzerland: Springer.
Mercer, S. (2016). Seeing the world through your eyes: Empathy in language learning and teaching. In P. MacIntyre, T. Gregersen, & S. Mercer (Eds.), Positive Psychology in SLA (pp. 91-111). Bristol: Multilingual Matters.
FWF Funded Project (Principal Investigator Projects): EFL Teacher Wellbeing and the Links to Classroom Practice (2026-2029)
FWF Funded Project (Weave grant with Poland): Co-PI with Dr hab. Anna Mystkowska-Wiertelak (Institute of English Studies of Wrocław University, Poland). COLATE: The Contagion of Learner and Teacher Engagement (2026-2029)
FWF Funded Project: The Psychological Capital of Foreign Language Teachers (2018-2023)
Sulis, G., Mercer, S., Babic, S., & Mairitsch, A. (2023). Language Teacher Wellbeing across the Career Span. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.
Mairitsch, A., Babic, S., Mercer, S., Sulis, G., & Shin, S. (2023). The role of compassion during the shift to online teaching for language teacher wellbeing. Theory and Practice of Second Language Acquisition, 9(1), 1-22.
Babic, S., Mairitsch, A., Mercer, S., Sulis, G., & King, J. (2023). Language teachers’ capitals as resources for wellbeing across the career trajectories. European Journal of Teacher Education, 1–19.
Sulis, G., Babic, S., Mairitsch, A., Mercer, S., Jin, J., King, J. (2022). Retention and attrition in early-career foreign language teachers in Austria and the United Kingdom. The Modern Language Journal, 106(1), 155–171.
Mairitsch, A., Babic, S., Mercer, S., Jin, J., Sulis, G., & King, J. (2021). Being a student, becoming a teacher: The wellbeing of pre-service language teachers in Austria and the UK. Teacher and Teaching Education, 106(103462).
Sulis, G., Mercer, S., Mairitsch, A., Babic, S., & Shin, S. (2021). Pre-service language teacher wellbeing as a Complex Dynamic System. System, 103, 1-12.
Jin, J., Mercer, S., Babic, S., & Mairitsch, A. (2020). ‘You just appreciate every little kindness’: Chinese language teachers’ wellbeing in the UK. System.
OeNB Funded Project: The Self-concepts and Psychological Well-being of Teachers in CLIL contexts across the educational lifespan (2017-2019)
Jin, J., Mercer, S., & Talbot, K. (2021). EMI Teacher Identity, Language Use and Reported Behaviours in Austrian Higher Education. In K. Talbot, M.-T. Gruber, & R. Nishida (Eds.). The psychological experience of integrating content and language. Multilingual Matters.
Hofstadler, N., Babic, S., Lämmerer, A., Mercer, S. & Oberdorfer, P. (2020). The ecology of CLIL teachers in Austria: An ecological perspective on CLIL teachers’ wellbeing. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching.
Hessel, G., Talbot, K., Gruber, M., & Mercer, S. (2020). The wellbeing and job satisfaction of secondary CLIL & tertiary EMI teachers. Journal for the Psychology of Language Learning, 2(2), 73–91.
Univ.-Prof. B.A. M.A. Ph.D M.Sc. Sarah Jane Mercer
+43 316 380 - 8190
Institut für Anglistik
Tuesdays 10-11, Liebiggasse
https://anglistik.uni-graz.at/de/fachdidaktik/