Emotion-Focused Teaching Beliefs and Practices in Chinese Preschools: Moderating Roles of Self-Efficacy and Emotional Intelligence

• In Event: Sunday Roundtable Session 11:25 am
  In Roundtable Session: Relational Dymaics in Education Spaces: Exploring Teacher Learning Communities, Mental Health Self-Efficacy, and Emotion-Focused Teaching (Table 28)

Abstract

Social-emotional competence contributes to children’s psychological well-being and school success. However, how preschool teachers support young children’s emotional socialization has been poorly understood in Chinese culture. This study examined (1) the association between teachers’ emotion-focused teaching beliefs and practices, and (2) whether teachers’ self-efficacy and emotional intelligence would moderate this association. Based on data from 287 Chinese preschool teachers, the results showed that teachers’ greater acceptance of negative emotions was related to better teaching practices related to emotions. Additionally, both teachers’ self-efficacy and emotional intelligence moderated the relationship. These findings highlight the close linkage between teachers’ emotion-focused teaching beliefs and practices, and the importance of fostering teachers’ self-efficacy and emotional intelligence to facilitate their abilities to translate beliefs into practice.

Authors

• Chunyuan Xi, East China Normal University

• Lixin Ren, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

• Yeqing Li, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Jiayi Li, East China Normal University

• Wenjing Dai, East China Normal University