Being the Weather Gauge of Mood: Demystifying the Emotion Regulation of Kindergarten Principals

Abstract

The study examined how emotion regulation strategies were utilised by kindergarten principals to fulfil their leading roles. In-depth interviews and document analysis were conducted with five kindergarten principals in Hong Kong. The principals linked their emotions to the psychosocial climate of the kindergartens, highlighting that emotion regulation is essential for the flourishing of the kindergartens. In line with the process model of emotion regulation, principals employed both antecedent-focused and response-focused emotion regulation strategies throughout their work to maintain a positive and rational outlook. In addition, the study also identified that the principals employed interpersonal emotion regulation strategies to facilitate their emotion regulation through social interactions. Together, these strategies contributed to the emotional well-being of the principals, thus optimising their interactions with teachers and parents, so that the children would also benefit. Implications for emotion regulation theory and kindergarten principal leadership are discussed.