The aim of this study is to investigate the EFL teachers‟ expectations, voices and their ideas on their dynamic process of teaching. To this end, some discrepancies may have an influence on EFL teachers‟ beliefs and their practices in teaching which needed to be discovered. Using a semi-structured in-depth interview, the research explored tension faced by EFL teachers while exercising their autonomy. The participants of this study were EFL teachers from Mashhad, Iran. They were interviewed about their jobs, uncovering the job stressors that they faced, the job satisfaction that they found, and the reasons they continued in their jobs. This paper has significant contributions to stakeholders involved in the professional development and teacher education.
