Are “well” teachers “better” teachers? A look into the relationship between first-year teacher emotion and use of evidence-based instructional strategies.

Abstract

Teachers experience significant stress with 93% reported high levels of stress (Herman et al., 2018), and literature examining teacher stress levels during the COVID-19 pandemic reveals that 30 percent of teachers experience significantly high levels of stress (Silva et al., 2021). Low levels of teacher well-being and higher levels of stress have been linked to punitive behavior management (Jennings & Greenberg, 2009) and lower student academic achievement (Goddard et al., 2000). The aim of the present study is to explore the relationship between teacher emotion and use of evidence-based instructional strategies that promote student success. In this study, 17 first-year teachers completed a novel measurement, inclusive of single-item scales intended to assess feelings of stress, efficacy, and school connectedness, several times a day, each day of the week, for 1 month. The classroom strategies assessment system of evidence-based academic and behavioral instructional strategies was used in weekly teacher observations. Results indicated validity between these single-item scales and established measures of teacher well-being. A positive relationship between teachers’ in-the-moment well-being and evidence-based instruction was found, as well as substantial variation in teacher emotional response across days and weeks. Implications and future directions are discussed.

School personnel well-being: Advancing measurement, best practices, and policy—Section 1: The role of context and competence in educator well-being.

“…The nine articles highlighted essential areas that effective comprehensive supports will need to include. First, articles consistently found the importance of social connectedness and bonding (e.g., Böke et al, 2023;Mennes et al, 2023;Sandilos et al, 2023;Yang et al, 2023). However, consideration of the context is very important, as connectedness and bonding alone may not be sufficient for enhancing and sustaining teacher well-being.…”

“…One of the most common themes across articles in the first section was the importance of social connectedness as a predictor of educator well-being (Böke et al, 2023;Mennes et al, 2023;Sandilos et al, 2023;Wink et al, 2024;Yang et al, 2023). This theme emerged in early childhood (Sandilos et al, 2023) and K-12 contexts (Mennes et al, 2023); in qualitative (Wink et al, 2024;Yang et al, 2023) and quantitative studies (Mennes et al, 2023); and in an intervention study (Böke et al, 2023).…”

“…Both Sebastian et al (2023) and Mennes et al (2023) examined the use of single-item measures of educator well-being. Mennes et al (2023) in particular identified the value of single-item measures capturing multiple aspects of well-being multiple times a day.…”

“…Both Sebastian et al (2023) and Mennes et al (2023) examined the use of single-item measures of educator well-being. Mennes et al (2023) in particular identified the value of single-item measures capturing multiple aspects of well-being multiple times a day. Teacher well-being is not static, and its fluctuation throughout the day can be a useful source of information for understanding its relations with other behaviors (e.g., instructional practices and student relationships), as well as a guide for planning interventions.…”