Teachers' Ability to Regulate Their Emotions Predicts Their Levels of Stress in Primary Schools in Germany

Teaching remains a profession that is associated with certain health risks. Teachers complain of psychosomatic experiences such as exhaustion, fatigue, headache, and tension more than people in other professions. High levels of stress amongst teachers also pose a risk for students, as this is associated with poorer teaching quality and lower learning success. Negative emotional responses to external stressors are decisive in the development of teacher stress. Therefore, emotional competence (EC), meaning the ability to perceive one's own emotions and the emotions of others, and the ability to regulate and express one's own emotions can be a meaningful piece of the puzzle around teachers' mental health. For this purpose, 265 teachers at inclusive primary schools in Germany were surveyed about how they experience stress and on the components of EC. Multi-level regression analyses showed that perceived stress was predicted by the 'regulation and control of one's own emotions' (std. B = - 0.53, p < 0.001), but not by the 'perception and understanding of one's own emotions' and the 'emotions of others' or by the 'expression of emotions'. Emotion regulation abilities can thus be understood as one factor that helps protect teachers' health. The results are discussed in the context of teacher training and professional development. (As Provided)