Emotional experience, expression, and regulation of high-quality Japanese elementary school teachers

The present study investigates the emotional experience, expression, and regulation processes of high-quality Japanese elementary school teachers while they interact with children, in terms of teachers’ emotional competence. Qualitative analysis of interview data demonstrated that teachers had various emotional experiences including self-elicited negative emotions. The major expression patterns were identified as direct staging and the suppression of emotions. Teachers considered emotion expression in front of children as a skill, and their emotion regulation processes involved considering various purposes, appropriately using emotion expression, and ideal teacher images. The findings suggest that high-quality teachers effectively use emotional competence in teaching.

► High-quality teachers use various emotion expressions in front of children.
► High-quality teachers regard emotion expression in front of children as a skill.
► Teaching based on good emotional competence and the teacher education may be needed.