A Quantitative Investigation of Individual Differences on Further Education (FE)Teachers’ Use of Emotions (Published)
This research paper presents the findings from the author’s thesis titled ‘An Investigation of the Role of Individual Differences, Policy, and Working Practices on Further Education Teachers’ Experiences of Emotions’ The focus of this paper is on the individual differences among FE teachers and the extent to which they influence the use and regulation of emotions. A review of the literature on emotions, stress, emotional labour, and burnout highlights their interconnectedness, which is examined in the research. The discussion of individual differences relates to the wellbeing debate. The methodology involved an online questionnaire. This case study was conducted at colleges and the findings indicate that, although personal achievements are significant to teachers, they still experience symptoms of burnout and emotional labour, linked to individual differences, work, and practice. The paper discusses the implications and limitations, as well as the need for further research. Future studies could explore broader individual differences, such as the effects of neurodiversity in practice. The key research discussions in this paper, therefore, extend those discussed in the thesis.
Keywords: Emotions, further education, teaching staff, wellbeing