Positioning emotional experiences in becoming a teacher educator: a phenomenological study

Abstract

This study explores the emotions experienced by teacher educators, their potential sources and the regulation strategies when teaching and interacting with students, pursuing academic research and engaging in community service. A phenomenological approach was utilised to explore the lived experiences of teacher educators in Turkiye, using criterion sampling for selection. A semi-structured interview schedule was employed with 13 teacher educators to delve into their emotional lives, and a thematic content analysis was done. Concerning Frenzel's model for teacher emotions and Stupnisky et al.'s faculty emotions conceptual model, teacher educators experience numerous positive and negative emotions primarily linked to student engagement, misbehaviours, academic collaborations, work overload and absence of supportive structures. According to Gross's process model of emotion regulation, teacher educators have been utilising different emotion-regulation strategies. The practical implications are critical to building an effective balance in teacher educators' professional and personal lives and enriching their professional learning and development.