In DEPTh: Dynamics of Emotional Processes in Teachers – An Exploration of Teachers’ Interpersonal Behavior and Physiological Responses

Abstract

The classroom is a highly social and emotional setting. Teachers’ emotional experiences in class have profound consequences for teacher well-being and student motivation and achievement. However, it is unclear how teachers’ emotions emerge during the lesson. Theoretical models of emotions postulate that emotions arise through a dynamic process involving cognitive appraisals, physiological arousal, and expressive behavior. In line with these models, the main aim of this dissertation was to investigate how teachers’ dynamic experiences during the lesson, in terms of their interpersonal behavior and physiological responses, were associated with their emotional outcomes. Teachers’ interpersonal behavior was operationalized in terms of Agency and Communion. Teacher agency refers to taking the lead, having social influence, or being in control. Communion refers to displaying friendliness, affection, or warmth. Teachers’ heart rate and their cardiac output were used as indicators of physiological responses. A wide range of teacher and student emotions was included. The main findings highlight the dynamic nature of emotional processes, the important role of individual teacher’s appraisals, and the added value of combining behavioral and physiological process measures. Teachers’ interpersonal behavior and physiological responses constitute two process measures that could be captured from moment-to-moment during real-life classroom teaching and were found to be highly dynamic in our sample of teachers. Using physiological measures along with observations was found to give insight in teachers’ moment-to-moment appraisal of showing certain behaviors, which could be a relevant personal antecedent of teacher emotions tied to specific lessons. The results showed that friendly teacher behavior is especially important for student emotions. Problems and negative teacher emotions occurred when it was effortful for teachers to be friendly and to show closeness to their students or when teachers had to suppress their emotions against their will. For teachers, it is also important to be in a leading position during the lesson. Although being in the lead can be effortful (i.e., many teachers had a relatively high heart rate at those moments), teachers who succeeded at it reported more positive emotions. The intra-individual nature of the process measures of behavior and physiology presented in this dissertation has potential for application in practice. The focus on the individual and changes within the individual over time enables us to draw conclusions that hold for a specific teacher. In the future, process measures could provide teacher educators or coaches with highly individualized diagnostic tools to provide teachers with specific tips and suggestions. It may be important for teachers to learn classroom management techniques and emotion regulation strategies during their teacher training programs. It might also be beneficial for teachers and teacher educators to become aware of their (often tacit) appraisal processes and action tendencies. Reflecting with teachers on their teaching is a first step in improving their interpersonal behavior in class and the quality of teaching. This might lead to more positive emotional experiences of both teacher and students in class, which will boost teacher well-being, and student motivation and achievement.