A1 Journal article (refereed)
The associations between teachers' lesson‐specific emotions and observed teacher–student interactions and student engagement (2025)
Pöysä, S., Vasalampi, K., Muotka, J., & Lerkkanen, M. (2025). The associations between teachers' lesson‐specific emotions and observed teacher–student interactions and student engagement. British Journal of Educational Psychology, Early online. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12739
The research was funded by Strategic Research Council at the Research Council of Finland.
JYU authors or editors
Publication details
All authors or editors: Pöysä, Sanni; Vasalampi, Kati; Muotka, Joona; Lerkkanen, Marja‐Kristiina
Journal or series: British Journal of Educational Psychology
ISSN: 0007-0998
eISSN: 2044-8279
Publication year: 2025
Publication date: 03/02/2025
Volume: Early online
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Publication country: United Kingdom
Publication language: English
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12739
Publication open access: Not open
Publication channel open access:
Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/99960
Abstract
Teachers' emotions while teaching are associated to how they teach. Prior research has evidenced such associations mostly based on teacher or student ratings of different teaching behaviours.
Aims
This study examined the extent to which teachers' self-rated lesson-specific positive and negative emotions are associated with the observed quality of teacher–student interactions in terms of emotional support, classroom organization and instructional support as well as students' behavioural engagement in the same lesson.
Sample
The participants comprised 84 subject teachers (76.2% female) and 907 students (15–16 years old; 50.1% female) from 26 Finnish lower secondary schools.
Methods
The data consisted of video-recordings from a total of 282 lessons (M = 3.36 lessons/teacher). The quality of teacher–student interactions and students' behavioural engagement was assessed using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System–Secondary (CLASS-S) observational instrument. Data regarding teachers' positive and negative emotions were collected at the end of each video-recorded lesson using the In Situations Teacher (InSitu-T) Instrument. The collected data were analysed using cross-classified two-level modelling.
Results and Conclusions
The findings revealed that teachers' positive and negative emotions were positively and negatively associated, respectively, with the observed quality of teacher–student interactions in terms of emotional support and classroom organization but not instructional support. The results provide evidence of the associations between teachers' emotions and students' observed behavioural engagement. The findings complement the literature by highlighting the importance of observational data, along with teacher and student ratings.
Keywords: teachers; school children; teacher-pupil relationship; interaction; emotions; lessons; classroom work
Free keywords: lesson-specific positive and negative emotions; student engagement; teacher; teacher–student interaction
Contributing organizations
Related projects
- EDUCA Flagship Education for the Future
- Kunttu, Henrik
- Research Council of Finland
- Resilient schools and the education system
- Lerkkanen, Marja-Kristiina
- Research Council of Finland
- Special funding for research on COVID-19 epidemic and the mitigation of its effects
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- Research Council of Finland
- The effects of teacher-student interactions on child outcomes: Behavioral and
psychophysiological mechanisms- Lerkkanen, Marja-Kristiina
- Research Council of Finland
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- Research Council of Finland
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- Research Council of Finland
- Competitive funding to strengthen universities’ research profiles. Profiling actions at the JYU, round 1
- Hämäläinen, Keijo
- Research Council of Finland
Ministry reporting: Yes
VIRTA submission year: 2025
Preliminary JUFO rating: 2
- School of Wellbeing (University of Jyväskylä JYU) JYU.Well
- Psychology (Department of Psychology PSY) PSY
- Social Sustainability for Children and Families (University of Jyväskylä JYU) SOSUS
- Teacher education research (teaching, learning, teacher, learning paths, education) (University of Jyväskylä JYU) JYU.Edu; Formerly JYU.Ope
- Special Education (Department of Education KASLA) (Department of Teacher Education OKL) (Teacher Training School NORSSI) ERI
- Kasvatuspsykologia (Department of Teacher Education OKL)