PreschoolTeachers’ Emotional Awareness Levels and Their Responses to Children's Negative Emotions

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between preschool teachers’ responses to children's negative emotions and their emotional awareness levels. The data was collected from 121 preschool teachers in spring 2013 by the Teachers’ Attitudes/Behaviors Questionnaire and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20. Preschool teachers indicated to use mostly problem focus, emotional regulation, label feeling, and behavior focus responses towards children's negative emotions. In addition, low emotional awareness level was negatively correlated with label feeling, emotional regulation, and problem focus responses. Difficulty describing feelings was positively correlated with punishment response. Educational programs teachers graduated from, teachers’ ages, and the number of years they worked were not related to the way they respond to children's negative emotions. As a result, teachers’ own emotional awareness levels are related to how they respond children's emotions.