Teachers’ perceptions of emotional display rules in schools: A systematic review

Abstract

Display rules—norms regarding the expression of emotion in professional settings—drive teachers' internal regulation of external emotional displays, and therefore have important implications for teachers' professional success. In this systematic review, we synthesize the findings of 32 studies examining teachers' perceptions of the display rules of teaching, and their perceptions of the display rules' functions in schools. We find that teachers' identities and contexts shape their perceptions of display rules; further, we find teachers perceive display rules as a means to provide appropriate emotional support to students, to foster students’ academic development, and to position themselves as competent professionals.