Relevant classroom events for teachers: A study of student characteristics, student behaviors, and associated teacher emotions

Abstract

To gain insight in relevant classroom events for teachers, this study asked 218 elementary school teachers to describe the most relevant event of the past workday, involving an individual student. Male students and students with relatively high externalizing, antisocial behavioral attributes were overrepresented in both positively and negatively valued events. Independent coders classified all student behaviors described in the event based on a newly developed coding system. Teachers described more social-emotional and relational student behaviors than achievement or motivational behaviors. Hostility and aggression towards the teacher was the strongest predictor of teachers’ enjoyment, anger, anxiety, and self- and other-related emotions.