VietTESOL International Convention 2026

Teacher well-being has emerged as a critical concern in contemporary education, particularly in high-demand institutional settings such as military colleges. This study examines the relationship between workload, mental health, and sustainable professional practices among English language instructors working in a Vietnamese military college context. Drawing on a mixed-methods approach, the research integrates survey data and semi-structured interviews to explore teachers’ perceptions of occupational stress, workload intensity, and institutional expectations. Findings indicate that excessive administrative duties, rigid hierarchical structures, and dual-role responsibilities (academic and military) significantly contribute to psychological strain and reduced professional satisfaction. Despite these challenges, participants demonstrated adaptive coping strategies, including peer collaboration, reflective teaching practices, and selective integration of technology to manage workload more efficiently. However, the lack of institutional support mechanisms and formal well-being policies remains a critical gap. The study highlights the need for a more sustainable model of teacher development that balances professional demands with psychological resilience. It proposes actionable recommendations, including workload redistribution, structured professional learning communities, and the integration of well-being-oriented policies within military education systems. By situating teacher well-being within the broader discourse of sustainable professional practice, this paper contributes to ongoing discussions on enhancing the quality and sustainability of English language teaching in specialized institutional contexts.