Gerda Hagenauer

Teacher-student relationship at university: an important yet under-researched field.

This article reviews the extant research on the relationship between students and teachers in higher education across three main areas: the quality of this relationship, its consequences and its antecedents. The weaknesses and gaps in prior research are highlighted and the importance of addressing the multi-dimensional and context-bound nature of teacher–student relationships is proposed. A possible agenda for future research is outlined.

Student-teacher relationship at university: an important yet under-researched field

This article reviews the extant research on the relationship between students and teachers in higher education across three main areas: the quality of this relationship, its consequences and its antecedents. The weaknesses and gaps in prior research are highlighted and the importance of addressing the multi-dimensional and context-bound nature of teacher–student relationships is proposed. A possible agenda for future research is outlined.

‘I don’t think I could, you know, just teach without any emotion’: exploring the nature and origin of university teachers’ emotions

This article addresses the issue of university teachers’ emotions generated through teaching and interacting with students. While research on school teachers’ emotions is on the increase, interest in the significance of university teachers’ emotions is still limited. In light of the growing attention given to the quality of university teaching around the world, and evidence of the impact of emotions on school teachers’ well-being and teaching practice, a better understanding of the origin and nature of emotions experienced by university teachers is needed. This article presents the findings of a small longitudinal study with 15 university teachers from two public Australian universities. Two in-depth interviews with each teacher generated rich accounts, examples and reflections on their emotional experiences during teaching. The qualitative analysis revealed the range of positive and negative emotions triggered in specific teaching–learning situations. Three major themes related to the emergence of emotions were identified: first, the importance of the intrinsic value and social nature of the professional practice of teaching; second, the criticality of the degree to which expectations of students’ engagement were fulfilled or not; and third, the realisation that the professional practice of teaching was only partly controllable. The findings are discussed with reference to previous research, limitations are addressed, and directions for future research are proposed.

Learning enjoyment in early adolescence

There is empirical evidence showing that positive emotional and motivational factors in formal learning contexts decrease at the stage of young adolescence. According to Stage-Environment-Fit Theory and Self-Determination Theory, this change should be explained by a non-fulfilment of students needs. By combining two different methods (questionnaires and day-to-day diaries) and applying a longitudinal design, this study aimed to explore the change in and the determinants of habitual and actual learning enjoyment. The sample consisted of 356 students. Quantitative results indicated that learning enjoyment and classroom practices decreased between Grades 6 and 7. Path analyses revealed that classroom practices are the source of students learning enjoyment, while self-efficacy functions as a partial mediator. Data from students diaries showed that a teachers neglect of students needs for competence and relatedness were significant sources of impeded learning enjoyment. Practical implications suggest the relevance of adjusting learning conditions to the needs of young adolescents in order to provide a facilitating basis for learning enjoyment.

I don't hide my feelings, even though I try to: insight into teacher educator emotion display.

AbstractThis article addresses the issue of teacher educators’ emotion display when teaching and interacting with students. Little is known about this phenomenon in higher education generally, and teacher education specifically. An empirical study was conducted to address this gap by investigating teacher educators’ views on appropriate and inappropriate emotion display and its functions in the process of teaching. The study also examined how teachers used emotion regulation strategies to manage the intensity of their experienced emotions. The participants (six male, nine female) were from two public Australian universities and were all teaching first-year students in pre-service education. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured face-to-face interviews. Qualitative analyses revealed that these teachers viewed the open expression of positive emotions as an integral aspect of their teaching practice. In terms of negative emotions, they reported the criticality of controlling such experiences, and the occasional need to completely conceal them. Some reflected on the instrumental functions and conscious use of emotion display and emotion suppression. Findings are discussed in light of prior research; limitations of this exploratory study are addressed, and directions for future research are outlined.n

University students’ emotions, life-satisfaction and study commitment: a self-determination theoretical perspective

Abstract Based on self-determination theory, this study seeks to explore whether a study environment that provides relevant conditions for students’ basic psychological need-satisfaction can lead to more positive and less negative emotional experiences. It also addresses the question of how emotions experienced in the university context are related to students’ overall life-satisfaction and study commitment. German students in teacher education programmes (N = 792) participated in the study by completing questionnaires. The results (estimated by path-modelling) reveal that students’ emotions can be predicted by a variety of environmental conditions associated with different basic psychological needs. Altogether, the model is able to explain 28.5% of the variance in positive emotions and 39.6% in negative emotions. The strongest predictor of students’ positive and negative emotions was the perceived relevance of the study material, a factor related to the need for autonomy. This perceived relevance also had a direct impact on study commitment. Furthermore, positive relationships with peers proved to be of importance for positive and negative emotions as well as for overall life-satisfaction. As expected, emotions at university predicted life-satisfaction and study commitment, with a particularly strong association between positive emotions and study commitment. The results point to the necessity to support study conditions that facilitate the fulfilment of students’ basic psychological needs in order to ensure students’ emotional well-being and enhance study commitment.