Teachers’ social-emotional characteristics and student outcomes: A commentary

Abstract

The disconnect between educational theory and practice is problematic for our field. The purpose of this commentary was to explore how that disconnect is being addressed in current research on teachers’ social-emotional characteristics and their relation to student outcomes. Three questions framed the analysis underlying this review: What do we now know? What do we still need to know? What does all this matter for schools and classrooms? To answer these questions, Spradley’s method of domain analysis was used to examine each of the four articles contained in this special issue. Then the articles were reviewed as a whole in light of the questions above. Strengths and limitations of the extant research on teachers’ emotions, motivation, and self-regulation were identified. The commentary concludes with suggestions for future research based on innovations in understanding the complex dynamics at play between teachers and students in school settings.