As a dynamic and multifaceted entity, motivation is prone to constant change under the influence of a great many factors including context, task, group dynamics and learner characteristics. Informed by the dearth of research on motivational fluctuations among the teacher community, the researchers in the current study strove to investigate the factors giving rise to Iranian EFL teachers’ motivational oscillations during the practice of online teaching. Thus, opting for a mixed methods research design, the researchers explored the role of emotional intelligence (EI) and seniority (teaching experience) in determining teachers’ motivational status and intensity in the quantitative phase. However, in the qualitative phase the researchers tapped into the teachers’ perceptions concerning the overriding factors bringing about their motivational fluctuations. A total of 55 teachers with varying degrees of teaching experience ranging from one year to 28 years participated in the study. To gather data for the quantitative phase, Bar-On’s (1997) emotional quotient inventory (EQ-i), and Motometer were utilized. However, in the qualitative phase, the data from teacher narratives and interview responses were consulted. The quantitative results via applying Mann Whitney U test revealed that though emotional intelligence and seniority both played a role in teachers’ motivational level, their influences were not statistically significant. Also, as regards the results of data analysis for the qualitative phase, several factors were pinpointed to underlie the teachers’ motivational changes during online teaching experience, including teaching materials, time intervals during the session, instructional topics, learner factors and internet connection problems. The findings are thought to have fruitful implications for EFL teachers, particularly in sensitizing them toward the role of different factors in their motivational changes.
