Be passionate, but be rational as well: Emotional rules for Chinese teachers’ work

Employing the concepts of emotional labour and emotional rules, the present study explored the emotional rules governing teachers’ work in the context of Mainland China. This showed that teachers can be seen as emotional workers in teaching and there are four emotional rules for Chinese teachers’ feelings and emotional expressions. For Chinese teachers, teaching contains a salient component of “heart-consuming” labour (caoxin). They rationally instrumentalise their emotional experience and expression to follow the professional and ethical norms in teaching. Because of this, the nature of teachers’ emotional labour and emotional rules in the context of Chinese culture is discussed.

► Chinese teachers’ emotions are constructed and regulated by four emotional rules.
► Teaching contains a salient component of “heart-consuming” labour.
► Teachers can be seen as emotional workers in teaching.
► Teacher-student relationship reflects the Chinese way of emotional communication.
► Chinese teachers stress the conformity to social norms in managing emotions.