The elusive links between teachers’ teaching-related emotions, motivations, and self-regulation and students’ educational outcomes

Abstract

Abstract Educational psychologists have traditionally been far more interested in the psychology of students than teachers. However, interest in conceptualizing and examining teachers’ emotions, motivations, and self-regulation, as well as corresponding implications for the instructional process and students’ educational outcomes, has increased in recent years. Accumulating evidence suggests that these teaching-related psychological characteristics can shape teachers’ professional decision-making, work engagement, occupational well-being, and approaches to teaching. Theoretically grounded links with students’ educational outcomes, however, remain elusive. Articles and commentaries in this special issue examine possible reasons for these puzzling results and strive to lay the foundation for theoretical cross-fertilization and an integrated research agenda focusing on whether, when, how, and why teachers’ teaching-related emotions, motivations, and self-regulation may influence—and be influenced by—students’ educational outcomes.