Research On Emotional Labor Of Primary And Secondary School Teachers In Ethnic Regions

In 2018,the Opinions on Comprehensively Deepening the Reform of Teacher Construction in the New Era clearly pointed out that "caring for teachers’ physical and mental health,overcoming burnout,and stimulating work enthusiasm",and teachers’ mental health and emotional state have received widespread attention.Compared with teachers in general areas,teachers in primary and secondary schools in ethnic minority areas have different degrees of differences in teaching environment and cultural background,and their emotional labor in teaching practice is more complicated.In order to respond to the national expectations of teachers,promote the construction of the teaching force in ethnic areas,and help teachers in ethnic areas overcome their emotional dilemmas to stimulate their work enthusiasm,this study adopts a mixed research paradigm combining qualitative and quantitative research with the field theory and the doctrine of teachers’ emotional practices as theoretical guides to investigate the emotional labor of primary and secondary school teachers in ethnic areas.The specific research questions of this study include: first,what is the current status of teachers’ emotional labor in ethnic areas? What are its characteristics? Second,what are the factors that affect teachers’ emotional labor in ethnic areas? Third,how to optimize teachers’ emotional labor in the context of diverse ethnic cultures? The quantitative analysis of the 325 valid questionnaires and the qualitative analysis of the interview data of 19 teachers in ethnic areas revealed that the current situation of teachers’ emotional work in ethnic areas was mainly in two aspects: the status of experience and the status of emotional expression strategies.In terms of emotional experiences,teachers in ethnic areas had more positive than negative emotional experiences,and there were some differences in terms of gender,age,marital status,weekly classroom hours,children’s status,job title,education,and school location.In terms of emotional expression strategies,teachers in ethnic areas have a higher level of emotional labor and mainly use natural expression strategies,with less use of surface play in comparison,and teachers in ethnic areas tend to express their true feelings directly.The choice of emotional strategies varied in terms of variables such as age,child status,teaching years,and school location.The findings suggest that factors affecting teachers’ emotional labor in ethnic areas include:first,social support from family,colleagues,students,parents,friends,school leaders,and other groups has a profound impact on teachers’ emotional labor.Second,affective rules are the behavioral guidelines for teachers’ affective practices in ethnic areas.Third,the nesting of ethnic fields can increase the emotional drain on teachers in ethnic areas.In order to optimize teachers’ emotional labor in ethnic areas,three feasible suggestions are proposed: first,to help teachers choose appropriate emotional expression strategies to show their true emotional states;second,to give full play to teachers’ care and responsibility for students to increase the motivation of emotional regulation;and third,to help teachers establish stable interpersonal relationships to enhance emotional capital.