Exploring Emotions, Emotional Labor, and Teaching in Higher Education

• In Event: Teacher Educator Well-Being

Abstract

This paper examined how faculty in higher education spoke about emotions and teaching, the ways emotional labor manifested itself in teaching, and the relationship between emotions and the environment. Participants (n = 90) were college faculty from a research focused university who participated in focus groups, interviews, and surveys. With over 35 different emotions shared during the focus groups, it was clear that all faculty experienced teaching from an emotional perspective. In the interviews, female faculty shared that they experienced frequent interactions with students that required them to engage in emotional labor. Finally, survey results showed that female faculty viewed their departments as less supportive than male faculty in this study.

Author

• Sarah Grace, University of Arizona