Beyond the silence: Prioritizing teachers’ mental health in educational research, practice and policy
Valeria Cavioni, Elisabetta Conte and Veronica Ornaghi
pp 4 - 20
Teacher mental health is a critical yet under-addressed dimension of educational quality and sustainability. While educators are widely recognised as key agents of student well- being, their own mental health remains relatively marginalised in research, institutional practices, and policy. This discussion paper highlights the urgent need to rethink how teacher mental health is conceptualised and addressed within education systems. Rather than viewing it as a private concern to be managed individually, it needs to be understood as a collective responsibility that requires institutional commitment and structural support. Adopting a narrative and integrative approach, the present paper draws on peer- reviewed studies selected from major scientific databases, alongside international evidence-based programmes and policy frameworks, to explore the key structural, relational, and organisational factors that shape educators’ mental health. Particular attention is paid to the emotional costs of teaching and the clinical consequences of chronic stress. The paper calls for policy reforms that embed teachers’ mental health into professional standards, quality assurance frameworks, and leadership training.
Emotional Labour of Rural Teachers: Practices and Challenges in Resource-Constrained Environments
Haoquan Sun, Andong Zhang and Abd Razak Bin Zakaria
pp 21 - 39
Rural teachers in resource-constrained environments engage in complex and sustained emotional labour as they navigate intersecting professional, cultural, and institutional expectations with limited systemic support. This study investigates how rural teachers in northeastern China perform emotional labour across classroom, school, and community contexts, with particular attention to the strategies they adopt and the structural forces that shape their affective experiences. Drawing on a qualitative case study design with data collected from semi-structured interviews across three rural school sites, the research reveals a dynamic interplay of surface acting, deep acting, and genuine emotional expression. These strategies are shaped by institutional demands, gendered norms, and community surveillance, and are further mediated by teachers’ gender, professional experience, and subject specialization. The findings underscore how emotional labour in rural teaching is not simply a personal coping mechanism, but a socially regulated process embedded in broader systems of affective discipline. The study calls for context-sensitive interventions—including emotional resilience training, gender-responsive support policies, and localized mental health resources—to mitigate emotional burnout and enhance teacher well-being.
Engagement and creative self-efficacy in preservice teachers: The mediating role of cognitive reappraisal
Ana Carpintero-Martin, Paula Álvarez-Huerta, Alexander Muela and Inaki Larrea
pp 40 - 56
Student engagement is a crucial determinant of both academic achievement and personal development. The use of cognitive reappraisal to regulate emotions is considered a highly effective way of improving affect and relationships as well as engagement. One of the aims of the present study was to examine the extent to which student engagement predicts the use of cognitive reappraisal as an emotion regulation strategy. We also analyse whether engagement is positively associated with creative self-efficacy, an important trait for students' future professional development, and whether this relationship is mediated by cognitive reappraisal. Participants consisted of 604 preservice teachers (60.1% female, 30.8% male, 0.7% non-binary, 8.4% not disclosed) aged between 18 and 29 years (M = 20.67, SD = 1.64) and enrolled in a university in the Basque Country (northern Spain). Students with higher levels of engagement, both behavioural and affective, scored higher on cognitive reappraisal and creative self-efficacy. Furthermore, mediation analysis showed that affective engagement had an indirect effect on creative self-efficacy via cognitive reappraisal. Initiatives to promote engagement and enhance creative self-efficacy through greater use of cognitive reappraisal are essential to ensure that preservice teachers develop the requisite skills to deal effectively with the demands of the profession.
Assessing Teachers' Social-Emotional Competence: Psychometric Properties of a CASEL Self-Assessment Tool in an Estonian Context
Marilyn Jurman, Elina Malleus-Kotšegarov, Eve Kikas and Kristiina Treial
pp 57 - 74
Teachers’ social-emotional competence (SEC) underpins students’ SEC, and self- assessment helps educators identify strengths and areas for improvement. Our study adapted CASEL’s Personal SEL Reflection tool for the Estonian educational context. Data from 528 primary and secondary school teachers resulted in a refined and shortened 15-item instrument with five CASEL core factors. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) supported a five-factor structure with good internal consistency and convergent validity (α = .74–.89; ω = .64–.81; AVE = .49–.73). The study establishes the reliability and validity of this culturally adapted tool for self-assessment purposes and highlights its potential for professional growth and teacher development initiatives.
Teacher Conceptual Challenges in Emotional Education: Key Issues in Supporting Student Social Competence in Pre-Service and In-Service Teacher Development
Anat Korem
pp 75 - 91
The development of students’ social competence is a key goal in emotional education, yet teachers may face conceptual challenges that hinder effective implementation. This conceptual review is particularly relevant for pre-service and in-service teacher education, highlighting challenges that teachers face in implementing emotional education effectively. This review identifies five misunderstandings shaping teacher perceptions: (1) conflating social acceptance with close friendship; (2) overgeneralising distinct social skills; (3) focusing on interpersonal behaviour while overlooking intrapersonal processes; (4) encouraging social participation without sufficient skill readiness; and (5) neglecting emotional foundations essential for social learning. The interpretative framework draws on theoretical literature and thematic analysis of interviews with 15 educators, illustrated through examples from elementary and secondary education, bridging theory and classroom practice. This review aligns with a body of research that takes a reflective and critical perspective on social and emotional education, seeking ways to refine it and adopt a more holistic approach to students. By integrating conceptual and practice-based insights, it contributes to the emotional education field and provides a foundational model to support future research and advance understanding of social competence development.
Social-Emotional Learning in South-Eastern European Educational Settings: An Exploratory Study on Young Adolescents’ Perspectives
Dejana Bouillet, 沤ana Glavendeki膰, Matthew Kiefer, Vanessa Jaroski and Wadih Maalouf
pp 92 - 108
Although social-emotional learning (SEL) programmes are globally recognised for their positive contribution to the overall development of young people, they still lack a clear and consistent presence in the curricula of South-Eastern European (SEE) education systems (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia). This exploratory study, grounded in the theoretical framework of SEL, aims to explore young adolescents’ self-assessment across multiple SEL dimensions. Using a questionnaire originally developed to evaluate the Lions Quest Skills for Adolescence (LQSFA) programme in SEE countries, data were collected from 11,000 sixth-grade students (ages 11–13 years). No significant difference between the five countries in students' assessments of their SEL needs was found, suggesting a consistent, region-wide necessity for such interventions. Approximately one-third of students reported some difficulty practising key SEL skills, and about one-fifth expressed uncertainty in evaluating their competencies and in the support they receive. Females, compared to males, assessed responsibility management skills and social awareness more favourably. The study offers important insights into the perceived need for SEL in the SEE educational context while the questionnaire developed for this study shows potential as a useful evaluation tool for the implementation of the LQSFA programme in SEE countries.
Effects of an Emotional Intelligence Intervention on Justice-Involved Adolescents
Arcadio de Jesús Cardona-Isaza, Remedios González-Barrón, Angela Trujillo and Inmaculada Montoya-Castilla
pp 109 - 129
Research has shown that emotional intelligence programmes can help improve adolescents' mental health, well-being, and behaviour. Although they are primarily applied in the school context, such programmes can also be adapted to specific populations. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of an emotional intelligence programme for adolescents involved in legal proceedings, based on the ability model of emotional intelligence proposed by Mayer and Salovey. A quasi- experimental design was used with 231 Colombian adolescents aged between 14 and 18 (M = 15.55, SD = 1.30). Emotional intelligence and other well-being and mental health variables were assessed using self-report scales. Results indicated that adolescents who participated in the programme improved their emotional intelligence, resilience, and emotional stability, with reduced emotional symptoms, particularly stress. The results suggest that the implemented programme is useful in helping adolescents with behavioural problems improve their mental health and subjective well-being.
Subjective well-being among students in postsecondary vocational education in Malta
Claire Abela, Elaine Atkins and Isabelle Zammit
pp 120 - 146
Subjective Well-Being (SWB) has emerged as a vital indicator of student mental health and educational success. This study investigates SWB among students in a postsecondary vocational education setting in Malta. Against a backdrop of increasing global and local mental health concerns among young people, the present study explores SWB within a multidimensional framework encompassing life satisfaction and positive and negative affectivity. Data were collected from 391 students aged 16–46 (M = 19) through the Brief Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. Demographic and contextual variables such as age, socio-economic status, level of studies, perceived responsibilities, perceived health, and student-lecturer relationships, showed significant associations with SWB outcomes. Notably, students with mental health conditions or learning disabilities reported low SWB. The study underscores the importance of fostering supportive educational environments, particularly for those at risk in their SWB, and highlights SWB as a key factor in educational and psychological interventions aimed at improving student outcomes.
Short Research Report: An exploratory study on the interplay between Teachers' Wellbeing, Emotional Regulation, and Work Engagement
Andreia Teixeira, Vera Coelho, Andreia Valquaresma, Mónica Soares, Francisco Machado and Helena Azevedo
pp 147 - 151
Teachers' wellbeing plays a crucial role in fostering high-quality educational environments and positive outcomes for students, teachers, and the educational community. Previous studies show that teachers´ emotional regulation strategies, particularly cognitive reappraisal, positively affect wellbeing (Braun et al., 2020). Additionally, work-related factors, such as work engagement and working conditions, also play a significant role. This study explores wellbeing among 443 teachers, examining its relationship with emotional regulation strategies, and work engagement. Data was collected using the Mental Health Continuum (Fonte et al., 2020), Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (Gross & John, 2003), and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (Sinval et al., 2018). Results showed that teachers exhibit medium-high emotional wellbeing, medium psychological wellbeing, and medium-low social wellbeing. Cognitive reappraisal and work engagement, particularly vigor and dedication, positively predicted wellbeing, while emotional suppression negatively predicted all dimensions of wellbeing. Findings highlight the importance of promoting emotional regulation and work engagement to enhance teacher´s wellbeing.
