As in tertiary institutions around the globe, part-time teachers conduct the majority of English language teaching at universities in Japan. Despite the growing interest in English language teachers' wellbeing (e.g., Herrera et al., 2023), research on the wellbeing of part-time English teachers remains scarce. In this ongoing qualitative case study, I draw on Bronfenbrenner's (2009) ecological model as a conceptual framework. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews with a group of part-time teachers, assisted by questionnaires and a visual timeline of teachers’ careers, and were analyzed employing thematic analysis. The findings uncovered factors such as precarious working conditions and a lack of institutional support that negatively influenced teachers’ wellbeing. However, teachers also have resources and coping strategies that they can employ to mitigate the effects of these and improve their wellbeing. To conclude, I discuss the implications of these findings for improving their wellbeing, together with directions for future research.
