Target both classroom agents in emotion regulation interventions by reducing teacher negative emotions and increasing student positive emotions¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 3 claims (2 for, 1 against) · 1 study (1 associational), q2 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 3 claims rest on one study

Description¶

Because teachers' and students' lesson-specific emotions are interconnected, the article recommends that interventions for one agent can help improve the emotions of the other. It states "it may be particularly useful to reduce teachers' negative emotions (e.g., frustration, tiredness) and increase students' positive emotions (e.g., enjoyment)." Suggested means include mindfulness or thought-reframing methods for teachers, helping students become more engaged and enthusiastic, teacher education on recognizing and responding to students' emotions, and school environments that foster positive emotions.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Interventions must address teachers and students as an interconnected pair rather than in isolation, since emotions are connected in the classroom setting

Constraints¶

• The article notes the data were collected during one school day with a limited number of teachers, so findings should be replicated with longer time intervals and larger samples

Target Learners¶

• Primary school students
• Primary school teachers
• Pre- and in-service teachers in teacher education

Target Learning Goals¶

• Emotion regulation and fostering positive classroom emotions that support learning and wellbeing

Affordances¶

• Cross Directional Teacher Student Emotion Transmission

Claims¶

• No transmission was found from teachers' positive emotions to students' emotions, from teachers' emotions to students' negative emotions, or from students' emotions to teachers' positive emotions [-W]
• Students' higher positive emotions predicted lower negative emotions in teachers [+W]
• Teachers' higher lesson-specific negative emotions predicted lower positive emotions in students [+W]

Related Strategies¶

• Civic education teachers foster an open classroom climate to prevent negative emotions and increase enjoyment

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Sorkkila, M., Malmberg, L.-E., Pöysä, S., Kiuru, N., Lerkkanen, M.-K., & Pakarinen, E. (2026). Change and transmission of students' and teachers' lesson-specific emotions. Learning and Instruction, 102, Article 102298. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2025.102298