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Emotional Intelligence Development Predicts Novice Teachers' Professional Identity, Teaching Enthusiasm, and Teacher-Student Relationships: The Mediation of Positive Teacher Emotions

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Title: Emotional Intelligence Development Predicts Novice Teachers' Professional Identity, Teaching Enthusiasm, and Teacher-Student Relationships: The Mediation of Positive Teacher Emotions
Language: English
Authors: Jing Long, Kuilin Ying, Yangmei Luo, Xuhai Chen (ORCID 0000-0001-5851-2373)
Source: European Journal of Teacher Education. 2026 49(2):424-443.
Availability: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 20
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Teacher Student Relationship, Rating Scales, Measures (Individuals), Emotional Intelligence, Professional Identity, Beginning Teachers, Teacher Attitudes, Psychological Patterns, Positive Attitudes, Teacher Participation
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: Student Teacher Relationship Scale
DOI: 10.1080/02619768.2024.2414910
ISSN: 0261-9768
1469-5928
Abstract: Teacher development involves the dynamic interplay between emotional intelligence and emotions. While previous research links these factors with their professional identity, teaching enthusiasm, and teacher-student relationships, the development characteristics of emotional intelligence and emotions remain unexplored in relation to these outcomes. In a two-year study with 357 novice teachers, emotional intelligence and emotions were tracked thrice. Data on professional identity, enthusiasm, and teacher-student relationships were collected at the final assessment. Latent growth curve modelling results revealed that only positive emotions, not negative ones, mediate the connection. Specifically, the initial level of positive emotions mediated the link between the initial level of emotional intelligence and teaching enthusiasm, professional identity, and teacher-student relationships. The growth rate of positive emotions notably mediated the relationship between emotional intelligence and professional identity, teaching enthusiasm, and teacher-student relationships. These findings offer new insights into the development of teachers' emotional intelligence, emotions, and professional growth.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1503294
Database: ERIC
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  Value: <anid>AN0192252645;54n01apr.26;2026Mar16.01:45;v2.2.500</anid> <title id="AN0192252645-1">Emotional intelligence development predicts novice teachers' professional identity, teaching enthusiasm, and teacher-student relationships: the mediation of positive teacher emotions </title> <p>Teacher development involves the dynamic interplay between emotional intelligence and emotions. While previous research links these factors with their professional identity, teaching enthusiasm, and teacher-student relationships, the development characteristics of emotional intelligence and emotions remain unexplored in relation to these outcomes. In a two-year study with 357 novice teachers, emotional intelligence and emotions were tracked thrice. Data on professional identity, enthusiasm, and teacher-student relationships were collected at the final assessment. Latent growth curve modelling results revealed that only positive emotions, not negative ones, mediate the connection. Specifically, the initial level of positive emotions mediated the link between the initial level of emotional intelligence and teaching enthusiasm, professional identity, and teacher-student relationships. The growth rate of positive emotions notably mediated the relationship between emotional intelligence and professional identity, teaching enthusiasm, and teacher-student relationships. These findings offer new insights into the development of teachers' emotional intelligence, emotions, and professional growth.</p> <p>Keywords: Emotional intelligence; professional identity; teaching enthusiasm; teacher-student relationships; latent growth curve model</p> <hd id="AN0192252645-2">Introduction</hd> <p>Emotional intelligence (EI) involves effectively recognising, understanding, using, and managing emotions (Mayer and Salovey [<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref1">34</reflink>]). In teacher research, teachers' EI is significantly linked to emotional states (Uitto, Jokikokko, and Estola [<reflink idref="bib57" id="ref2">57</reflink>]), burnout (Mérida-López and Extremera [<reflink idref="bib35" id="ref3">35</reflink>]), happiness (Puertas Molero et al. [<reflink idref="bib45" id="ref4">45</reflink>]), and students' learning performance (Alam and Ahmad [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref5">2</reflink>]), as well as social relationships (Hagenauer, Hascher, and Volet [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref6">20</reflink>]). However, the link between teachers' EI and professional identity, teaching enthusiasm, and teacher-student relationships, and the mediating effect of emotional experience, remains underexplored. Past research often relies on static indicators, like mean EI at a specific moment (Mérida-López et al. [<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref7">36</reflink>]; Uzuntiryaki-Kondakci et al. [<reflink idref="bib59" id="ref8">59</reflink>]), neglecting temporal dynamic aspects like growth rate. This gap challenges researchers in assessing the developmental characteristics of EI and emotions and their overall impact on teachers, ultimately shaping their professional identity, teaching enthusiasm, and teacher-student relationships. Thus, we conducted a mediation analysis using the latent growth curve model framework (von Soest and Hagtvet [<reflink idref="bib62" id="ref9">62</reflink>]) with longitudinal data from 357 novice teachers. Our aim was to explore how developments in EI during the early teaching stages affect professional identity, teaching enthusiasm, and teacher-student relationships. We then investigated potential mediating mechanisms in emotional development within these processes. This offers insights for researchers and educational practitioners seeking to understand the role of temporal dynamic EI among teachers.</p> <hd id="AN0192252645-3">EI and professional identity, teaching enthusiasm, teacher-student relationships</hd> <p>Strong professional identity, high teaching enthusiasm, and positive teacher-student relationships are key characteristics of outstanding teachers (Burić and Moè [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref10">6</reflink>]; Graham, Tancredi, and Gillett-Swan [<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref11">18</reflink>]; Korthagen [<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref12">27</reflink>]). Professional identity pertains to a teacher's positive attitudes, experiences, and behaviours in their professional role (Wei, Song, and Zhang [<reflink idref="bib63" id="ref13">63</reflink>]). Teaching enthusiasm involves the passion, energy, and excitement that a teacher brings to the educational process (Kunter et al. [<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref14">29</reflink>]). The teacher-student relationships encompass the connection, interaction, and dynamic between a teacher and their students, including three dimensions: satisfaction, instrumental help and conflict (Ang, Ong, and Li [<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref15">3</reflink>]).</p> <p>These elements intertwine and mutually influence each other. Professional identity serves as the foundation for becoming an exceptional educator, enhancing their dedication to the job. Teaching enthusiasm reflects a teacher's profound love for and commitment to teaching. Teacher-student relationships provide essential social support. Together, these factors influence students' academic performance, teachers' effectiveness, and overall well-being (Hascher and Waber [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref16">21</reflink>]), collectively shaping the trajectory of teachers' professional growth.</p> <p>All these factors were associated with EI. For instance, previous studies employing both qualitative and quantitative methodologies highlighted the importance of EI in shaping professional identity (Miao, Humphrey, and Qian [<reflink idref="bib38" id="ref17">38</reflink>]; Yan, Evans, and Harvey [<reflink idref="bib66" id="ref18">66</reflink>]). A recent study involving 260 teachers has also demonstrated that EI positively impacts professional identity both directly and indirectly through its influence on job satisfaction (Butakor, Guo, and Adebanji [<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref19">7</reflink>]).</p> <p>Research has also indicated that teachers' EI is positively associated with teaching enthusiasm (Schoeps et al. [<reflink idref="bib47" id="ref20">47</reflink>]). Similarly, Lucas-Mangas et al. ([<reflink idref="bib31" id="ref21">31</reflink>]) found that both EI and psychological well-being contribute to increased job enthusiasm and reduce levels of indolence, cynicism, and depersonalisation.</p> <p>Furthermore, as the prosocial classroom model suggests, teachers with high EI create a positive classroom atmosphere and are more likely to interact effectively with students (Jennings and Greenberg [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref22">26</reflink>]). These teachers tend to use integrative and compromising strategies to manage conflicts, thereby fostering and maintaining positive teacher-student relationships (Valente and Lourenço [<reflink idref="bib60" id="ref23">60</reflink>]).</p> <p>While extensive research has examined the relationship between EI, professional identity, teaching enthusiasm, and teacher-student relationships, the connection between the developmental aspects of EI and these factors remains unclear. Previous studies have primarily relied on static indicators, such as average EI levels (Mérida-López et al. [<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref24">36</reflink>]; Uzuntiryaki-Kondakci et al. [<reflink idref="bib59" id="ref25">59</reflink>]), which only assess the impact of EI at specific moments (Dunn et al. [<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref26">13</reflink>]; Perry and Ball [<reflink idref="bib42" id="ref27">42</reflink>]), without exploring variability over time. However, EI is temporal dynamic, as evidenced by studies demonstrating its trainability (Kotsou et al. [<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref28">28</reflink>]; Mattingly and Kraiger [<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref29">33</reflink>]).</p> <hd id="AN0192252645-4">The mediation of teacher emotions</hd> <p>EI may indirectly associate with professional identity, teaching enthusiasm, and teacher-student relationships through teacher emotions as a mediating variable. Teacher emotions encompass a range of emotional experiences within teachers' professional roles, often influenced by the educational environment, interactions with students and colleagues, and the demands of the profession. According to Affective Information Processing (AIP, Gohm and Clore [<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref30">17</reflink>]), EI, as a crucial individual difference in navigating emotional events, affects every stage of emotional experience. Consequently, EI is positively correlated with positive emotions and negatively correlated with negative emotions (Extremera and Rey [<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref31">14</reflink>]; Moroń and Biolik-Moroń [<reflink idref="bib39" id="ref32">39</reflink>]). Additionally, in line with Affective Event Theory (AET, Weiss and Cropanzano [<reflink idref="bib64" id="ref33">64</reflink>]), teacher emotions, triggered by positive or negative events filling in the work environment, will subsequently impact their attitudes and behaviours.</p> <p>Previous research suggests that a teacher's identity formation is deeply tied to emotional aspects (Zembylas [<reflink idref="bib68" id="ref34">68</reflink>]). Timoštšuk and Ugaste ([<reflink idref="bib55" id="ref35">55</reflink>]) qualitative study of 45 Estonian student teachers revealed that emotions play an important role in social learning, which in turn influences the development of professional identity. Similarly, qualitative studies on non-native English-speaking teachers in the United States (Wolff and De Costa [<reflink idref="bib65" id="ref36">65</reflink>]) and Chinese kindergarten teachers (Zhang and Jiang [<reflink idref="bib69" id="ref37">69</reflink>]) also validated the role of emotions. Cheng ([<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref38">9</reflink>]) review study also supports that both positive and negative emotions experienced by EFL/ESL teachers significantly impact their professional identity. Additionally, some studies suggest that the relationship between teacher emotions and professional identity might be reciprocal (Thomas and Beauchamp [<reflink idref="bib54" id="ref39">54</reflink>]). Therefore, considering the close connection between teacher emotions and professional identity, it is likely that teacher emotions mediate the relationship between EI and professional identity, particularly during the critical transition period from university students to novice teachers.</p> <p>In terms of teaching enthusiasm, Schoeps et al. ([<reflink idref="bib47" id="ref40">47</reflink>]) found that teacher emotions mediate the link between EI and job enthusiasm and professional burnout. Burić and Moè ([<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref41">6</reflink>]) longitudinal study among high school teachers identified correlations between positive emotions and job enthusiasm, mediated by self-efficacy and job satisfaction. Furthermore, other studies indicated that a misalignment between teachers' enthusiasm for teaching and their emotional experiences can impact their professional well-being (Taxer and Frenzel [<reflink idref="bib53" id="ref42">53</reflink>]) and the quality of interpersonal relationships (Philippe et al. [<reflink idref="bib43" id="ref43">43</reflink>]). These findings underscore the significant influence of teacher emotions on the generation and teaching enthusiasm.</p> <p>Teacher emotions also play a crucial role in the interactions between teachers and students (Newberry [<reflink idref="bib40" id="ref44">40</reflink>]; Uitto et al. [<reflink idref="bib58" id="ref45">58</reflink>]). Using hierarchical regression analysis, research suggested that teacher emotions can shape their attitudes and behaviours towards students, influencing the dynamics of teacher-student relationships (Hagenauer, Hascher, and Volet [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref46">20</reflink>]). Uitto and Estola ([<reflink idref="bib56" id="ref47">56</reflink>]) qualitative study indicated that teacher emotions during instructional activities impact students' memories and evaluations of teacher-student relationships. Besides, Spilt, Koomen, and Thijs ([<reflink idref="bib49" id="ref48">49</reflink>]) suggested that the quality of teacher-student interactions influences teacher emotions, subsequently affecting future interactions and even teachers' well-being. These studies emphasise the crucial role of both teacher emotions in teacher-student relationships.</p> <p>In summary, existing studies have separately investigated the connection between teachers' EI and their emotional experiences, as well as the relationship between teacher emotions and professional identity, teaching enthusiasm, and teacher-student relationships. However, several questions require further exploration and refinement. Firstly, most previous studies employed a cross-sectional design, neglecting the dynamic characteristics of EI and teacher emotions. Secondly, when exploring the mediating role of emotions, only static indicators were considered. Given the dynamic development of EI (Kotsou et al. [<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref49">28</reflink>]; Mattingly and Kraiger [<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref50">33</reflink>]) and teachers emotions (Scherer [<reflink idref="bib46" id="ref51">46</reflink>]; Sun et al. [<reflink idref="bib51" id="ref52">51</reflink>]), it is crucial to investigate the mediating role of dynamic characteristic of teacher emotions.</p> <hd id="AN0192252645-5">Current study</hd> <p>This study aims to investigate the dynamic relationship between teachers' EI and teacher emotions, and their association with key aspects of teacher development: professional identity, teaching enthusiasm, and teacher-student relationships. While previous research suggests that these variables, particularly professional identity, may have reciprocal relationships with teacher emotions, our research specifically focuses on these aspects as core features of novice teachers' professional development and outcome variables.</p> <p>To achieve this goal, we tracked novice teachers from their internship to their second year of teaching, with a one-year interval between each assessment. Using a parallel process growth model, we examined the dynamic link between EI and teacher emotions among novice teachers. Employing a latent growth curve modelling framework and mediation analysis, we explored how the initial levels (intercepts) and growth rates (slopes) of EI and emotions are associated with professional identity, teaching enthusiasm, and teacher-student relationships. This method allows us to assess initial levels and their temporal development, providing a more comprehensive understanding of mediating effects (Mackinnon and Dwyer [<reflink idref="bib32" id="ref53">32</reflink>]), and drawing upon established methodologies in prior research (Ahmed et al. [<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref54">1</reflink>]; Brown and Weisman de Mamani [<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref55">5</reflink>]).</p> <p>Based on existing theories and research, we proposed the following hypotheses:</p> <hd id="AN0192252645-6">H1.</hd> <p>We hypothesised teachers' initial EI level positively predicts the initial level of positive emotions and negatively predicts the initial level of negative emotions. Additionally, we anticipated the growth rate of teachers' EI positively predicts the growth rate of positive emotions, and negatively predicts the growth rate of negative emotions.</p> <hd id="AN0192252645-7">H2.</hd> <p>We hypothesised the initial level and growth rate of teachers' positive emotions positively predict their professional identity, teaching enthusiasm, and teacher-student relationships, while the initial level and growth rate of teachers' negative emotions negatively predict these variables.</p> <hd id="AN0192252645-8">H3.</hd> <p>The initial level and growth rate of teachers' emotions mediate the association between the initial level and growth rate of EI and professional identity, teaching enthusiasm, and teacher-student relationships.</p> <hd id="AN0192252645-9">Method</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0192252645-10">Participants</hd> <p>In November 2019 (Time 1), 366 senior students serving as intern teachers were invited in November 2019, with 357 providing valid data (mean age 21.75 ± 1.01 years, 85% female). In November 2020 (Time 2), 285 Time 1 participants working as teachers responded to our invitation, and 273 provided valid data (mean age 22.70 ± 0.95 years, 86.44% female). For November 2021 (Time 3), 243 participants engaged in both Time 1 and Time 2 responded, and 238 provided valid data (mean age 23.63 ± 1.70 years, 86.55% female). Data were collected via online surveys, ensuring anonymity, and participants were informed about the research before data collection. Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee on Human Experimentation at our university (HR2019–09–001).</p> <p>From Time 1 to Time 2, the sample size decreased from 357 to 273. Subsequently, from Time 2 to Time 3, the sample size was further reduced to 238. Overall, when compared to the initial sample at Time 1, there was a total attrition rate of 33.3%. Following the recommended procedure (Nicholson, Deboeck, and Howard [<reflink idref="bib41" id="ref56">41</reflink>]), Little's MCAR test was used to assess potential attrition mechanisms (<emph>χ</emph><sups>2</sups>(<reflink idref="bib179" id="ref57">179</reflink>) = 200.715, <emph>p</emph> = 0.127), indicating the assumption of missing completely at random (MCAR). To handle missing data, we used full-information-maximum-likelihood (FIML) estimation. FIML is known for providing reliable and unbiased estimation, particularly in longitudinal studies (Jeličić, Phelps, and Lerner [<reflink idref="bib25" id="ref58">25</reflink>]).</p> <hd id="AN0192252645-11">Measures</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0192252645-12">Emotional intelligence</hd> <p>The Emotional Intelligence Scale (Schutte et al. [<reflink idref="bib48" id="ref59">48</reflink>]), comprising 33 items scored on a 5-point scale, was used to measure EI in novice teachers across three waves. Following a one-factor solution suggested by factor analysis (Schutte et al. [<reflink idref="bib48" id="ref60">48</reflink>]), average item scores served as the EI indicator. This well-established scale demonstrated good reliability and validity across all three measurements in the current study. The reliability and validity coefficients are shown in Table 1, same as below.</p> <p>Table 1. Reliability and validity of each variable.</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead><tr><td><p>Variables</p></td><td><p>Cronbach's α</p></td><td><p>Confirmatory Factor Analysis</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>CFI</p></td><td><p>TLI</p></td><td><p>SRMR</p></td><td><p>RMSEA</p></td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p>T1_Emotional intelligence</p></td><td><p>0.87</p></td><td><p>0.918</p></td><td><p>0.902</p></td><td><p>0.055</p></td><td><p>0.034 [0.028, 0.040]</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>T2_Emotional intelligence</p></td><td><p>0.89</p></td><td><p>0.916</p></td><td><p>0.904</p></td><td><p>0.060</p></td><td><p>0.038 [0.031, 0.045]</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>T3_Emotional intelligence</p></td><td><p>0.89</p></td><td><p>0.919</p></td><td><p>0.902</p></td><td><p>0.063</p></td><td><p>0.039 [0.030, 0.046]</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>T1_Teacher Emotions</p></td><td><p>0.80, 0.88, 0.84, 0.84, 0.85</p></td><td><p>0.918</p></td><td><p>0.905</p></td><td><p>0.067</p></td><td><p>0.059 [0.053, 0.065]</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>T2_Teacher Emotions</p></td><td><p>0.81, 0.90, 0.84, 0.89, 0.86</p></td><td><p>0.916</p></td><td><p>0.905</p></td><td><p>0.067</p></td><td><p>0.063 [0.055, 0.070]</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>T3_Teacher Emotions</p></td><td><p>0.81, 0.88, 0.84, 0.84, 0.83</p></td><td><p>0.919</p></td><td><p>0.908</p></td><td><p>0.067</p></td><td><p>0.058 [0.050, 0.066]</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>T3_Professional Identity</p></td><td><p>0.91, 0.82, 0.92, 0.82</p></td><td><p>0.943</p></td><td><p>0.932</p></td><td><p>0.062</p></td><td><p>0.060 [0.048, 0.071]</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>T3_Teaching Enthusiasm</p></td><td><p>0.90</p></td><td><p>0.990</p></td><td><p>0.976</p></td><td><p>0.020</p></td><td><p>0.070 [0.000, 0.135]</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>T3_Teacher-Student Relationships</p></td><td><p>0.862, 0.855, 0.863</p></td><td><p>0.950</p></td><td><p>0.938</p></td><td><p>0.042</p></td><td><p>0.060 [0.044, 0.075]</p></td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>1 Single-factor scales report one reliability coefficient, while multi-factor scales report separate coefficients for each dimension.</p> <hd id="AN0192252645-13">Teacher emotions</hd> <p>The Teacher Emotion Inventory (Chen [<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref61">8</reflink>]) consisting of 26 items on a 6-point Likert scale, was used to measure teacher emotions across three waves Among the five dimensions, joy and love represent positive emotions, while sadness, fear, and anger represent negative emotions. The reliability and validity coefficients are shown in Table 1.</p> <hd id="AN0192252645-14">Professional identity</hd> <p>We employed the Primary and High School Teachers' Professional Identity Scale (Wei, Song, and Zhang [<reflink idref="bib63" id="ref62">63</reflink>]) to assess professional identity at Time 3, which comprised 18 items rated on a 5-point scale, covering role values, professional values, professional behavioural tendencies, and professional belongingness. This scale demonstrated good reliability and validity in the current study.</p> <hd id="AN0192252645-15">Teaching enthusiasm</hd> <p>We utilised the scale by Kunter et al. ([<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref63">29</reflink>]) to gauge teaching enthusiasm at Time 3, featuring five items rated on a 5-point scale. The reliability and validity coefficients are shown in Table 1.</p> <hd id="AN0192252645-16">Teacher-student relationships</hd> <p>We used the Teacher Version of the Teacher-Student Relationships Scale to assess teacher-student relationships at Time 3 (Ang, Ong, and Li [<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref64">3</reflink>]). To align with the teacher's perspective, we adjusted items from a student-oriented to a teacher-oriented format. For example, 'I enjoy attending the class of this teacher' was modified to 'I enjoy giving lessons to my students in class'. The scale comprised 14 items on a 5-point scale, covering satisfaction, instrumental help, and conflict. The reliability and validity coefficients are shown in Table 1.</p> <hd id="AN0192252645-17">Covariates</hd> <p>Gender (male = 1, female = 2) reported by the participants at T1 was treated as covariates.</p> <hd id="AN0192252645-18">Analysis</hd> <p>Following previous studies (Griffith, Young, and Hankin [<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref65">19</reflink>]; N. Hu et al. [<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref66">24</reflink>]), we used univariate latent growth curve models to determine intercepts and slopes for negative emotion, positive emotion, and EI separately. The growth pattern was established by assessing the significance of the slope in the univariate growth curve model. Subsequently, following the mediation analysis procedure in a latent growth curve modelling framework (von Soest and Hagtvet [<reflink idref="bib62" id="ref67">62</reflink>]), our analysis comprises four steps: Step one involves parallel growth modelling to explore the impact of EI development on teacher emotion development Figure 1(a). In step two, latent growth curve modelling is applied to evaluate how the development of teacher emotions links with professional identity, teaching enthusiasm, and teacher-student relationships Figure 1(b). In step three, building on the preceding results, we formulate and examine a hypothesised mediation model within a latent growth curve framework Figure 1(c). In step four, to assess the comparative explanatory power of the mediation analysis in a latent growth curve framework, the traditional mediation model with mean EI over three years as an independent variable and the mean teacher emotion over three years as the mediator was established Figure 1(d). The difference in explanatory power between the two models is confirmed by comparing the <emph>R</emph><sups>2</sups> of the outcome variables. To address common method variance, residuals were allowed to covary within each time point (Cole, Ciesla, and Steiger [<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref68">10</reflink>]). Gender at baseline was included as a covariate in parallel process models to account for potential individual heterogeneity at the study's outset.</p> <p>Graph: Figure 1. Conceptual models for step 1, step 2, step 3 and step 4. (a) depicts the parallel growth model for emotional intelligence (EI), positive emotion, and negative emotion over a three-year follow-up period (step 1). (b) shows the latent growth curve model for outcome variables of positive emotion and negative emotion during the three-year follow-up period (step 2). Below are (c) the conceptual model and (d) the comparative model for step 3 and step 4.</p> <p>We utilised SPSS 20 for descriptive statistics and Mplus 7.4 to analyse hypothetical models. Summing items measuring the same dimension yielded variables for each construct (Praetorius et al. [<reflink idref="bib44" id="ref69">44</reflink>]). Teacher Emotion Inventory items were parcelled into positive and negative emotion variables, following previous studies (Chen [<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref70">8</reflink>]). Professional identity and teacher-student relationship questionnaire items were separated by dimension and used to estimate latent variables. Teaching enthusiasm scale items, forming a single dimension, were directly fitted to the teaching enthusiasm latent variable. Spearman correlation coefficients were computed between these variables.</p> <p>Model parameters were estimated using the robust maximum-likelihood method (MLR). Missing data from the longitudinal data of 357 participants were addressed using FIML with age as an auxiliary variable. Structural equation models were then established. Overall fit evaluation used recommended indices: CFI > 0.9, TLI > 0.9, RMSEA < 0.08, and SRMR < 0.08 (L. Hu and Bentler [<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref71">23</reflink>]).</p> <hd id="AN0192252645-19">Results</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0192252645-20">Descriptive statistics</hd> <p>Table 2 displays correlations, means, and standard deviations for all variables. Statistically positive correlations were observed between EI and positive emotions. The correlation between EI and negative emotions at Time 1 was not significant, but it strengthened over time. Professional identity, teaching enthusiasm, and teacher-student relationships showed consistent positive correlations with EI and positive emotions at each stage. However, they displayed varying negative correlations with negative emotions.</p> <p>Table 2. Descriptive statistics and Spearman correlations for the observed variables.</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead><tr><td><p>Variables</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>3</p></td><td><p>4</p></td><td><p>5</p></td><td><p>6</p></td><td><p>7</p></td><td><p>8</p></td><td><p>9</p></td><td><p>10</p></td><td><p>11</p></td><td><p>12</p></td><td><p>13</p></td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p>1.EI T1</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /></tr><tr><td><p>2.EI T2</p></td><td><p>0.61***</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /></tr><tr><td><p>3.EI T3</p></td><td><p>0.60***</p></td><td><p>0.61***</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /></tr><tr><td><p>4.PE T1</p></td><td><p>0.60***</p></td><td><p>0.41***</p></td><td><p>0.38***</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /></tr><tr><td><p>5.PE T2</p></td><td><p>0.39***</p></td><td><p>0.51***</p></td><td><p>0.45***</p></td><td><p>0.54***</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /></tr><tr><td><p>6.PE T3</p></td><td><p>0.42***</p></td><td><p>0.40***</p></td><td><p>0.58***</p></td><td><p>0.57***</p></td><td><p>0.64***</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /></tr><tr><td><p>7.NE T1</p></td><td><p>0.08</p></td><td><p>0.04</p></td><td><p>0.10</p></td><td><p>0.25***</p></td><td><p>0.03</p></td><td><p>0.12</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /></tr><tr><td><p>8.NE T2</p></td><td><p>0.03</p></td><td><p>−0.02</p></td><td><p>0.08</p></td><td><p>0.02</p></td><td><p>0.08</p></td><td><p>0.06</p></td><td><p>0.54***</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /></tr><tr><td><p>9.NE T3</p></td><td><p>−0.03</p></td><td><p>−0.09</p></td><td><p>0.00</p></td><td><p>0.00</p></td><td><p>−0.05</p></td><td><p>0.06</p></td><td><p>0.48***</p></td><td><p>0.61***</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td /><td /><td /><td /></tr><tr><td><p>10.PI T3</p></td><td><p>0.42***</p></td><td><p>0.44***</p></td><td><p>0.59***</p></td><td><p>0.47***</p></td><td><p>0.52***</p></td><td><p>0.75***</p></td><td><p>0.15*</p></td><td><p>0.08</p></td><td><p>0.05</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td /><td /><td /></tr><tr><td><p>11.TE T3</p></td><td><p>0.38***</p></td><td><p>0.39***</p></td><td><p>0.47***</p></td><td><p>0.37***</p></td><td><p>0.43***</p></td><td><p>0.58***</p></td><td><p>−0.01</p></td><td><p>−0.00</p></td><td><p>0.02</p></td><td><p>0.56***</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td /><td /></tr><tr><td><p>12.TSR T3</p></td><td><p>0.34***</p></td><td><p>0.37***</p></td><td><p>0.46***</p></td><td><p>0.38***</p></td><td><p>0.39***</p></td><td><p>0.53***</p></td><td><p>−0.05</p></td><td><p>−0.11</p></td><td><p>−0.25***</p></td><td><p>0.55***</p></td><td><p>0.51***</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td /></tr><tr><td><p>13.Gender</p></td><td><p>−0.05</p></td><td><p>−0.02</p></td><td><p>−0.11</p></td><td><p>0.07</p></td><td><p>0.01</p></td><td><p>−0.04</p></td><td><p>0.14**</p></td><td><p>0.11</p></td><td><p>0.04</p></td><td><p>−0.04</p></td><td><p>−0.11</p></td><td><p>−0.11</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><italic>M</italic></p></td><td><p>3.82</p></td><td><p>3.85</p></td><td><p>3.86</p></td><td><p>4.53</p></td><td><p>4.3</p></td><td><p>4.41</p></td><td><p>3.66</p></td><td><p>3.48</p></td><td><p>3.78</p></td><td><p>3.98</p></td><td><p>4.07</p></td><td><p>4.01</p></td><td><p>–</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><italic>SD</italic></p></td><td><p>0.11</p></td><td><p>0.13</p></td><td><p>0.13</p></td><td><p>0.72</p></td><td><p>0.93</p></td><td><p>0.76</p></td><td><p>0.79</p></td><td><p>0.96</p></td><td><p>0.83</p></td><td><p>0.29</p></td><td><p>0.45</p></td><td><p>0.28</p></td><td><p>–</p></td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>2 PE = Positive Emotion, NE = Negative Emotion, EI = Emotional Intelligence, PI = Professional Identity, TE = Teaching enthusiasm, TSR = Teacher-Student Relationships. *<emph>p</emph> <.05, **<emph>p</emph> <.01, ***<emph>p</emph> <.001. The same as below.</p> <hd id="AN0192252645-21">Univariate latent growth curve models</hd> <p>Table 3 shows the parameter values for the univariate latent growth curve models. The results of the slopes examination indicate that EI (<emph>β</emph> = 0.019, <emph>p</emph> < 0.05) and negative emotions (<emph>β</emph> = 0.059, <emph>p</emph> < 0.05) increased over time while positive emotions (<emph>β</emph> = −0.054, <emph>p</emph> < 0.05) declined over time.</p> <p>Table 3. Intercepts and slopes for emotional intelligence, negative emotion, and positive emotion.</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead><tr><td /><td><p>EI</p></td><td><p>NE</p></td><td><p>PE</p></td></tr><tr><td /><td><p><italic>β</italic></p></td><td><p><italic>SE</italic></p></td><td><p><italic>β</italic></p></td><td><p><italic>SE</italic></p></td><td><p><italic>β</italic></p></td><td><p><italic>SE</italic></p></td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p>Intercept</p></td><td><p>3.825***</p></td><td><p>0.017</p></td><td><p>3.610***</p></td><td><p>0.046</p></td><td><p>4.500***</p></td><td><p>0.045</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Slope</p></td><td><p>0.019*</p></td><td><p>0.009</p></td><td><p>0.059*</p></td><td><p>0.028</p></td><td><p>−0.054*</p></td><td><p>0.026</p></td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>3 *<emph>p</emph> <.05, **<emph>p</emph> <.01, ***<emph>p</emph> <.001.</p> <hd id="AN0192252645-22">Parallel process latent growth models between teacher's EI and emotions</hd> <p>A well-fitting parallel growth model was observed (CFI = 0.969, TLI = 0.882, RMSEA = 0.083, 90% CI [0.056, 0.111], SRMR = 0.038), which considered co-occurring trajectories of EI, negative emotions, and positive emotions while controlling for gender. Gender was positively linked to the intercepts of both positive and negative emotions. The EI intercept was positively associated with the positive emotions intercept (<emph>β</emph> = 0.761, <emph>p</emph> < 0.001), and the EI slope correlated positively with the positive emotions slope (<emph>β</emph> = 0.538, <emph>p</emph> = 0.019), suggesting that novice teachers with higher initial EI levels began with higher positive emotions levels, and those who increased EI more rapidly experienced fewer reductions in positive emotions over time. However, the slopes and intercepts of EI were not significantly associated with those of negative emotions. Consequently, negative emotions will not be included in the subsequent mediation model. Parameter estimates can be found in Table 4.</p> <p>Table 4. Parameter estimates for parallel process growth model.</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead><tr><td /><td><p>All (<italic>N</italic> = 357)</p></td></tr><tr><td /><td><p><italic>β</italic></p></td><td><p><italic>SE</italic></p></td><td><p><italic>p</italic></p></td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p><bold>Growth factor associations</bold></p></td><td /><td /><td /></tr><tr><td><p>EI intercept ↔ slope</p></td><td><p>−0.284</p></td><td><p>0.161</p></td><td><p>0.077</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>NE intercept ↔ slope</p></td><td><p>−0.009</p></td><td><p>0.391</p></td><td><p>0.981</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>PE intercept ↔ slope</p></td><td><p>−0.089</p></td><td><p>0.319</p></td><td><p>0.780</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>EI intercept → NE intercept</p></td><td><p>0.009</p></td><td><p>0.098</p></td><td><p>0.927</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>EI intercept → NE slope</p></td><td><p>−0.255</p></td><td><p>0.155</p></td><td><p>0.099</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>EI intercept → PE intercept</p></td><td><p>0.761</p></td><td><p>0.067</p></td><td><p>0.000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>EI intercept → PE slope</p></td><td><p>−0.080</p></td><td><p>0.106</p></td><td><p>0.452</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>EI slope → NE intercept</p></td><td><p>0.223</p></td><td><p>0.181</p></td><td><p>0.218</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>EI slope → NE slope</p></td><td><p>−0.377</p></td><td><p>0.433</p></td><td><p>0.384</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>EI slope → PE intercept</p></td><td><p>0.071</p></td><td><p>0.135</p></td><td><p>0.598</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>EI slope → PE slope</p></td><td><p>0.538</p></td><td><p>0.230</p></td><td><p>0.019</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Gender <bold>→</bold> EI intercept</p></td><td><p>−0.038</p></td><td><p>0.064</p></td><td><p>0.552</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Gender <bold>→</bold> EI slope</p></td><td><p>−0.089</p></td><td><p>0.100</p></td><td><p>0.374</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Gender → NE intercept</p></td><td><p>0.197</p></td><td><p>0.078</p></td><td><p>0.011</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Gender → NE slope</p></td><td><p>−0.177</p></td><td><p>0.120</p></td><td><p>0.141</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Gender → PE intercept</p></td><td><p>0.119</p></td><td><p>0.058</p></td><td><p>0.042</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Gender <bold>→</bold> PE intercept</p></td><td><p>−0.080</p></td><td><p>0.086</p></td><td><p>0.353</p></td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <hd id="AN0192252645-23">Latent growth curve models with outcome variables</hd> <p>The latent growth curve model, encompassing concurrent trajectories of negative and positive emotions with outcome variables (professional identity, teaching enthusiasm, and teacher-student relationships) while adjusting for gender, exhibited a good fit (CFI = 0.930, TLI = 0.906, RMSEA = 0.055, 90% CI [0.045, 0.064], SRMR = 0.066). Parameter estimates are detailed in Table 5. The positive emotions intercept and slope were both positively linked to professional identity (<emph>β</emph> = 0.760, <emph>p</emph> < 0.001; <emph>β</emph> = 0.664, <emph>p</emph> < 0.001), indicating that novice teachers commencing with higher positive emotions levels tend to develop a stronger professional identity over time. Likewise, positive emotions intercept and slope were positively associated with teaching enthusiasm (<emph>β</emph> = 0.461, <emph>p</emph> < 0.001; <emph>β</emph> = 0.467, <emph>p</emph> < 0.001). Additionally, positive emotions intercept and slope were both positively associated with teacher-student relationships (<emph>β</emph> = 0.646, <emph>p</emph> < 0.001; <emph>β</emph> = 0.575, <emph>p</emph> < 0.001), suggesting that novice teachers starting with higher positive emotions tended to cultivate higher-quality teacher-student relationships over time.</p> <p>Table 5. Parameter estimates for latent growth curve models with outcome variables.</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead><tr><td /><td><p>All (<italic>N</italic> = 357)</p></td></tr><tr><td /><td><p><italic>β</italic></p></td><td><p><italic>SE</italic></p></td><td><p><italic>p</italic></p></td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p><bold>Growth factor associations</bold></p></td><td /><td /><td /></tr><tr><td><p>NE intercept ↔ slope</p></td><td><p>−0.195</p></td><td><p>0.180</p></td><td><p>0.279</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>PE intercept ↔ slope</p></td><td><p>−0.246</p></td><td><p>0.131</p></td><td><p>0.059</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>NE intercept → PI</p></td><td><p>0.006</p></td><td><p>0.070</p></td><td><p>0.931</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>NE slope → PI</p></td><td><p>−0.094</p></td><td><p>0.082</p></td><td><p>0.250</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>PE intercept → PI</p></td><td><p>0.760</p></td><td><p>0.088</p></td><td><p>0.000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>PE slope → PI</p></td><td><p>0.664</p></td><td><p>0.096</p></td><td><p>0.000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>NE intercept → TE</p></td><td><p>−0.120</p></td><td><p>0.069</p></td><td><p>0.081</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>NE slope → TE</p></td><td><p>0.153</p></td><td><p>0.097</p></td><td><p>0.112</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>PE intercept → TE</p></td><td><p>0.461</p></td><td><p>0.099</p></td><td><p>0.000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>PE slope → TE</p></td><td><p>0.467</p></td><td><p>0.107</p></td><td><p>0.000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>NE intercept → TSR</p></td><td><p>−0.175</p></td><td><p>0.070</p></td><td><p>0.012</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>NE slope → TSR</p></td><td><p>−0.164</p></td><td><p>0.090</p></td><td><p>0.068</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>PE intercept → TSR</p></td><td><p>0.646</p></td><td><p>0.091</p></td><td><p>0.000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>PE slope → TSR</p></td><td><p>0.575</p></td><td><p>0.097</p></td><td><p>0.000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Gender → NE intercept</p></td><td><p>0.172</p></td><td><p>0.071</p></td><td><p>0.014</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Gender <bold>→</bold> NE slope</p></td><td><p>−0.104</p></td><td><p>0.075</p></td><td><p>0.164</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Gender <bold>→</bold> PE intercept</p></td><td><p>0.083</p></td><td><p>0.076</p></td><td><p>0.275</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Gender <bold>→</bold> PE intercept</p></td><td><p>−0.116</p></td><td><p>0.068</p></td><td><p>0.086</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Gender <bold>→</bold> PI</p></td><td><p>−0.025</p></td><td><p>0.055</p></td><td><p>0.650</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Gender <bold>→</bold> TE</p></td><td><p>−0.014</p></td><td><p>0.068</p></td><td><p>0.831</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Gender <bold>→</bold> TSR</p></td><td><p>−0.017</p></td><td><p>0.051</p></td><td><p>0.738</p></td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <hd id="AN0192252645-24">Mediation analysis in a latent growth curve modelling framework</hd> <p>A mediation model within a latent growth curve framework, incorporating concurrent trajectories of EI and positive emotion with outcome variables displayed a good fit (CFI = 0.960, TLI = 0.948, RMSEA = 0.043, 90% CI [0.033, 0.053], SRMR = 0.051). The results reveal that the positive emotions intercept mediates the impact of the EI intercept on both professional identity and teacher-student relationships. Moreover, the positive emotions slope mediates the effect of the EI slope on professional identity. Additionally, the EI slope may indirectly affect teaching enthusiasm and teacher-student relationships through the positive emotions slope, with the indirect effects being marginally significant. Parameter estimates can be found in Table 6.</p> <p>Table 6. Parameter estimates for mediation models.</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead><tr><td /><td><p>β</p></td><td><p>SE</p></td><td><p>p</p></td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p><bold>Mediation model in a latent growth curve modelling framework</bold></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><bold>Direct effects</bold></p></td><td /><td /><td /></tr><tr><td><p>IEI → IPE</p></td><td><p>0.747</p></td><td><p>0.061</p></td><td><p>0.000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>IEI → PI</p></td><td><p>0.219</p></td><td><p>0.108</p></td><td><p>0.042</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>IEI → TE</p></td><td><p>0.200</p></td><td><p>0.122</p></td><td><p>0.102</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>IEI → TSR</p></td><td><p>0.351</p></td><td><p>0.128</p></td><td><p>0.006</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>SEI → SPE</p></td><td><p>0.689</p></td><td><p>0.152</p></td><td><p>0.000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>SEI → PI</p></td><td><p>0.210</p></td><td><p>0.170</p></td><td><p>0.217</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>SEI → TE</p></td><td><p>0.106</p></td><td><p>0.177</p></td><td><p>0.549</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>SEI → TSR</p></td><td><p>0.136</p></td><td><p>0.189</p></td><td><p>0.473</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>IPE → PI</p></td><td><p>0.597</p></td><td><p>0.137</p></td><td><p>0.000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>IPE → TE</p></td><td><p>0.310</p></td><td><p>0.165</p></td><td><p>0.060</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>IPE → TSR</p></td><td><p>0.383</p></td><td><p>0.174</p></td><td><p>0.027</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>SPE → PI</p></td><td><p>0.529</p></td><td><p>0.157</p></td><td><p>0.001</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>SPE → TE</p></td><td><p>0.393</p></td><td><p>0.196</p></td><td><p>0.045</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>SPE → TSR</p></td><td><p>0.501</p></td><td><p>0.196</p></td><td><p>0.011</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><bold>Specific Indirect effects</bold></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>IEI → IPE → PI</p></td><td><p>0.446</p></td><td><p>0.099</p></td><td><p>0.000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>IEI → IPE → TE</p></td><td><p>0.232</p></td><td><p>0.116</p></td><td><p>0.045</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>IEI → IPE → TSR</p></td><td><p>0.286</p></td><td><p>0.120</p></td><td><p>0.017</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>SEI → SPE → PI</p></td><td><p>0.365</p></td><td><p>0.144</p></td><td><p>0.011</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>SEI → SPE → TE</p></td><td><p>0.271</p></td><td><p>0.163</p></td><td><p>0.096</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>SEI → SPE → TSR</p></td><td><p>0.346</p></td><td><p>0.184</p></td><td><p>0.060</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><bold>Total effects</bold></p></td><td /><td /><td /></tr><tr><td><p>IEI → PI</p></td><td><p>0.666</p></td><td><p>0.078</p></td><td><p>0.000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>IEI → TE</p></td><td><p>0.432</p></td><td><p>0.077</p></td><td><p>0.000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>IEI → TSR</p></td><td><p>0.637</p></td><td><p>0.075</p></td><td><p>0.000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>SEI → PI</p></td><td><p>0.574</p></td><td><p>0.100</p></td><td><p>0.000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>SEI → TE</p></td><td><p>0.377</p></td><td><p>0.088</p></td><td><p>0.000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>SEI → TSR</p></td><td><p>0.482</p></td><td><p>0.083</p></td><td><p>0.000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><bold>Comparative model</bold></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Direct effects</p></td><td /><td /><td /></tr><tr><td><p>EI → PE</p></td><td><p>0.620</p></td><td><p>0.034</p></td><td><p>0.000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>EI → PI</p></td><td><p>0.213</p></td><td><p>0.080</p></td><td><p>0.008</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>EI → TE</p></td><td><p>0.143</p></td><td><p>0.074</p></td><td><p>0.053</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>EI → TSR</p></td><td><p>0.279</p></td><td><p>0.081</p></td><td><p>0.001</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>PE → PI</p></td><td><p>0.646</p></td><td><p>0.074</p></td><td><p>0.000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>PE → TE</p></td><td><p>0.393</p></td><td><p>0.095</p></td><td><p>0.000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>PE → TSR</p></td><td><p>0.496</p></td><td><p>0.070</p></td><td><p>0.000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Indirect effects</p></td><td /><td /><td /></tr><tr><td><p>EI → PE → PI</p></td><td><p>0.401</p></td><td><p>0.051</p></td><td><p>0.000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>EI → PE → TE</p></td><td><p>0.244</p></td><td><p>0.059</p></td><td><p>0.000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>EI → PE → TSR</p></td><td><p>0.308</p></td><td><p>0.046</p></td><td><p>0.000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Total effects</p></td><td /><td /><td /></tr><tr><td><p>EI → PI</p></td><td><p>0.614</p></td><td><p>0.051</p></td><td><p>0.000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>EI → TE</p></td><td><p>0.387</p></td><td><p>0.063</p></td><td><p>0.000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>EI → TSR</p></td><td><p>0.587</p></td><td><p>0.055</p></td><td><p>0.000</p></td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>4 IEI = Intercept of Emotional Intelligence, SEI = Slope of Emotional Intelligence, IPE = Intercept of Positive Emotion, SPE = Slope of Positive Emotion.</p> <p>Although the comparative model with three-year mean EI as the independent variable and three-year mean teacher positive emotions as the mediator displayed a good fit (CFI = 0.939, TLI = 0.917, RMSEA = 0.063, 90% CI [0.051, 0.074], SRMR = 0.048), it explains only 63.3% of the variance in professional identity, 24.8% in teaching enthusiasm, and 49.6% in teacher-student relationships. In contrast, the latent growth curve framework explains more variance: 82.6% in professional identity, 34.6% in teaching enthusiasm, and 63.6% in teacher-student relationships. These results indicate that the mediation model with a latent growth curve outperforms the mean value-based mediation model.</p> <hd id="AN0192252645-25">Discussion</hd> <p>The study employed a latent growth curve model to examine how teacher emotional development mediates the relationships between EI development and teacher professional identity, teaching enthusiasm, and teacher-student relationships. Results revealed a strong correlation between teachers' initial EI levels and their initial levels of positive emotions, as well as between the growth rates of EI and positive emotions. Both the initial level and growth rate of positive emotions were significantly correlated with professional identity, teaching enthusiasm, and teacher-student relationships. Additionally, the initial level of positive emotions mediated the relationship between the initial level of EI and teaching enthusiasm, professional identity, and teacher-student relationships. Remarkably, the growth rate of positive emotions fully mediated the impact of the growth rate of EI on teacher professional identity, teaching enthusiasm, and teacher-student relationships. These findings will be discussed further below.</p> <hd id="AN0192252645-26">Parallel process latent growth between teacher's EI and emotions</hd> <p>We found that teachers' EI growth contributes to increased positive emotions, aligning with prior findings (Li and Xu [<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref72">30</reflink>]) suggesting that EI development leads to positive changes in personality traits, happiness, and social relationships. Our study supports the AIP theory, asserting EI as a crucial individual difference influencing teachers' emotional experiences (Gohm and Clore [<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref73">17</reflink>]). Notably, our results show that current EI levels in teachers only correlate with their present positive emotions, implying that having a high EI as a novice teacher doesn't guarantee a stress-free experience. Novice teachers must focus on maintaining and improving their EI to sustain positive emotional levels throughout their careers.</p> <p>However, we found no significant association between teachers' EI development and their negative emotions, consistent with Vesely, Saklofske, and Nordstokke ([<reflink idref="bib61" id="ref74">61</reflink>]), suggesting that substantial EI improvement may not significantly impact anxiety and stress levels in pre-service teachers. This suggests potential distinctions in how EI influences positive and negative emotions. While high EI individuals may effectively regulate strategies to enhance positive emotions (Szczygieł and Mikolajczak [<reflink idref="bib52" id="ref75">52</reflink>]), its impact on negative emotions seems limited.</p> <hd id="AN0192252645-27">The association between teacher emotions and professional identity, teaching enthusiasm, teac...</hd> <p>Prior studies have shown that teachers with higher positive emotions demonstrate stronger professional identity (Zhang and Jiang [<reflink idref="bib69" id="ref76">69</reflink>]), increased teaching enthusiasm (Burić and Moè [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref77">6</reflink>]), and better teacher-student relationships (Hagenauer, Hascher, and Volet [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref78">20</reflink>]). However, these studies do not clarify the relationship between teachers' current positive emotions and their changes over time. This study reveals that teachers with a consistently rising trend in positive emotions exhibit the strongest professional identity, the highest teaching enthusiasm, and the best teacher-student relationships. Conversely, teachers with low and declining positive emotions tend to experience poorer outcomes. This suggests the need for leaders and researchers to address not only teachers' negative emotions but also to emphasise enhancing positive emotions. Measures should be implemented to boost teachers' positive emotions for improved teaching outcomes. These findings provide further support for the Affective Events Theory (Weiss and Cropanzano [<reflink idref="bib64" id="ref79">64</reflink>]) and emphasise the importance of fostering and elevating teachers' positive emotions in the teaching context.</p> <p>Furthermore, the negative correlations between teachers' negative emotions and outcome variables suggest that, compared to teachers' positive emotions, the associations with their negative emotions on teaching-related outcomes appear to be relatively smaller. This may be attributed to the more frequent and intense experience of positive emotions in teachers during regular teaching activities (Stark et al. [<reflink idref="bib50" id="ref80">50</reflink>]). Moreover, novice teachers can consciously use emotion regulation strategies to manage negative emotions (Yin [<reflink idref="bib67" id="ref81">67</reflink>]), and different subgroups in the use of these strategies (Methlagl and Vogl [<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref82">37</reflink>]) complicate the relationship between negative emotions and outcomes.</p> <hd id="AN0192252645-28">The mediation of teacher emotional development characteristics</hd> <p>The findings of the study reveal that the initial level of positive emotions fully mediates the relationship between teachers' initial EI and teaching enthusiasm, partially mediating the impact of EI on professional identity and teacher-student relationships. Crucially, the growth rate of teachers' positive emotions fully mediates the influence of the growth rate of EI on teachers' professional identity, teaching enthusiasm, and teacher-student relationships. In other words, as novice teachers transition from internship to their first two years of teaching, experiencing more positive emotions is linked to stronger professional identification, greater enthusiasm for teaching, and better teacher-student relationships. This suggests that teachers with growing EI and increased positive emotions during this transitional period are likely to progress towards becoming outstanding educators. This is consistent with previous research by Fredrickson et al. ([<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref83">16</reflink>]), which showed that increasing positive emotions through meditation predicts higher life satisfaction and reduced depression. This may be because experiencing positive emotions helps individuals develop lasting and plentiful social and psychological resources, as emphasised by Fredrickson ([<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref84">15</reflink>]). Consequently, leaders and researchers should not only focus on the existing levels of teachers' positive emotions but also recognise the impact of developments in teachers' positive emotions on their teaching and professional growth. Given the co-variation in the direction and pace of EI and positive emotions, it is valuable to include strategies for eliciting and enhancing positive emotions when designing EI development programmes.</p> <p>In this study, we employed two modelling approaches: the latent growth curve modelling framework for mediation analysis and the traditional mediation model. The former approach allowed us to clarify the impact of the initial levels and temporal dynamics in EI and teacher emotions on teacher professional identity, teaching enthusiasm, and teacher-student relationships. The latter approach only explained the influence of the average levels of EI and teacher emotions at specific time points on the outcome variables. The temporal dynamics in emotional experiences are considered crucial for understanding individual psychological well-being (Houben, Van Den Noortgate, and Kuppens [<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref85">22</reflink>]). However, research suggests that existing dynamic measures of emotions have little additional value in predicting individual happiness compared to average emotional levels (Dejonckheere et al. [<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref86">11</reflink>]). Contrary to this, our study revealed that, compared to the traditional mediation model, the latent growth curve modelling framework accounted for nearly one-third of the variance in the outcome variables. This suggests that by integrating initial levels and development of emotions, the latent growth curve model may be an effective approach for predicting psychological well-being.</p> <hd id="AN0192252645-29">Theoretical and practical implication</hd> <p>Theoretically, first, this study found that the dynamic development of EI significantly promotes positive emotion in novice teachers, while having no significant impact on negative emotion. These findings provide empirical evidence for the dynamic relationship between EI and positive emotion, enhancing our understanding of this developmental process and supporting the applicability of the AIP theory (Gohm and Clore [<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref87">17</reflink>]) in explaining emotional processes. Second, this study is the first to demonstrate that the initial level and growth rate of positive emotion fully mediate the relationship between EI and teaching enthusiasm, and partially mediate the relationships between EI and professional identity and teacher-student relationships. This underscores the importance of the dynamic development of positive emotion in teacher emotion research. Last, compared to traditional models, our use of latent growth curve modelling for mediation analysis provides stronger explanatory power for outcome variables, highlighting the value of exploring teacher emotions and EI from a developmental perspective and offering a valuable reference.</p> <p>Practically, this study highlights that enhancing positive emotions in teachers is crucial for promoting the professional growth of novice teachers. Given that novice teachers are in an adaptation phase and inevitably experience mixed emotions (Dreer-Goethe [<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref88">12</reflink>]), teacher education programmes could offer emotional management courses like gratitude exercises and mindfulness training. A mentoring system with experienced mentors who can provide emotional support and guidance, helping novice teachers cope with the pressures and challenges of the early stages of teaching, should be established. Notably, our study also indicates that while initial levels of EI may vary among novice teachers due to individual differences, enhancing EI is crucial for promoting positive emotions. Therefore, EI self-growth courses should be introduced during the student-teacher stage to improve initial EI levels. Additionally, continuous EI retraining and advanced courses throughout teachers' careers can further develop EI, boost positive emotions, and support professional growth.</p> <hd id="AN0192252645-30">Limitations of the study and recommendations for future research</hd> <p>This study is the first to report the mediating role of teacher emotional development between EI development and teacher professional identity, teaching enthusiasm, and teacher-student relationships. However, there are limitations. Firstly, findings based on novice teachers may not generalise to a broader population, given the emotionally charged nature of novice teachers forming teaching beliefs (Anttila et al. [<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref89">4</reflink>]). Secondly, reliance on self-report measures from teachers may be influenced by social expectations. Future research should incorporate data from multiple sources. Thirdly, because longitudinal studies cannot definitively establish causal relationships between variables, future research should employ field experimental designs, such as EI training, to provide stronger evidence for causal connections. Lastly, while this study tracked novice teachers' EI and emotions three times, it only measured outcome variables at Time 3, limiting the exploration of the reciprocal relationship between professional identity and teacher emotions and EI. Future research should simultaneously track these variables to explore their temporal dynamics and reciprocal relationships.</p> <hd id="AN0192252645-31">Conclusion</hd> <p>Using three waves of data tracking novice teachers' EI and emotions, and measuring the outcome variables of professional identity, teaching enthusiasm, and teacher-student relationships in the third year, we found a significant impact of the initial level and growth rate of EI on positive emotions among novice teachers. Moreover, the findings indicate that the initial level and growth rate of positive emotions fully mediate the relationship between EI and teaching enthusiasm, while partially mediating its impact on professional identity and teacher-student relationships. These results underscore the dynamic characteristics of EI and positive emotions in teacher development, offering a new perspective on the cultivation mechanism of excellent teachers. Our study provides practical significance in integrating systematic EI training into teacher education and emphasises the importance of enhancing EI and positive emotions among novice teachers.</p> <hd id="AN0192252645-32">Disclosure statement</hd> <p>No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).</p> <hd id="AN0192252645-33">Author contributors</hd> <p>All authors contributed to the study conception, design, material preparation and data collection. Data analysis was performed by Y.K. The first draft of the manuscript was written by L.J. and Y.K., and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.</p> <hd id="AN0192252645-34">Consent to participate</hd> <p>Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.</p> <hd id="AN0192252645-35">Data availability statement</hd> <p>The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.</p> <hd id="AN0192252645-36">Ethical statement</hd> <p>All responses were anonymised, and respondents were informed about the research before data collection. 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" The Role of Emotion in Chinese Preschool teachers' Identity Construction." Teaching & Teacher Education 123 : 104010. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2022.104010.</bibtext> </blist> </ref> <aug> <p>By Jing Long; Kuilin Ying; Yangmei Luo and Xuhai Chen</p> <p>Reported by Author; Author; Author; Author</p> <p></p> <p>Jing Long is a graduate student at the School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University. Her research interests primarily focus on teacher emotional intelligence and teaching emotions.</p> <p>Kuilin Ying is a doctoral student at the School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University. His research interests are in teachers' emotions, well-being and professional development.</p> <p>Yangmei Luo is a Professor at the School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University. His main research focuses on social cognition, well-being, and emotions.</p> <p>Xuhai Chen is a Professor at the School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University. His main research focuses on the neural mechanisms of emotion and the cultivation of emotional intelligence.</p> </aug> <nolink nlid="nl1" bibid="bib34" firstref="ref1"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl2" bibid="bib57" firstref="ref2"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl3" bibid="bib35" firstref="ref3"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl4" bibid="bib45" firstref="ref4"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl5" bibid="bib20" firstref="ref6"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl6" bibid="bib36" firstref="ref7"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl7" bibid="bib59" firstref="ref8"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl8" bibid="bib62" firstref="ref9"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl9" bibid="bib18" firstref="ref11"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl10" bibid="bib27" firstref="ref12"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl11" bibid="bib63" firstref="ref13"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl12" bibid="bib29" firstref="ref14"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl13" bibid="bib21" firstref="ref16"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl14" bibid="bib38" firstref="ref17"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl15" bibid="bib66" firstref="ref18"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl16" bibid="bib47" firstref="ref20"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl17" bibid="bib31" firstref="ref21"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl18" bibid="bib26" firstref="ref22"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl19" bibid="bib60" firstref="ref23"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl20" bibid="bib13" firstref="ref26"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl21" bibid="bib42" firstref="ref27"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl22" bibid="bib28" firstref="ref28"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl23" bibid="bib33" firstref="ref29"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl24" bibid="bib17" firstref="ref30"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl25" bibid="bib14" firstref="ref31"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl26" bibid="bib39" firstref="ref32"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl27" bibid="bib64" firstref="ref33"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl28" bibid="bib68" firstref="ref34"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl29" bibid="bib55" firstref="ref35"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl30" bibid="bib65" firstref="ref36"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl31" bibid="bib69" firstref="ref37"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl32" bibid="bib54" firstref="ref39"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl33" bibid="bib53" firstref="ref42"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl34" bibid="bib43" firstref="ref43"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl35" bibid="bib40" firstref="ref44"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl36" bibid="bib58" firstref="ref45"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl37" bibid="bib56" firstref="ref47"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl38" bibid="bib49" firstref="ref48"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl39" bibid="bib46" firstref="ref51"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl40" bibid="bib51" firstref="ref52"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl41" bibid="bib32" firstref="ref53"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl42" bibid="bib41" firstref="ref56"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl43" bibid="bib179" firstref="ref57"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl44" bibid="bib25" firstref="ref58"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl45" bibid="bib48" firstref="ref59"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl46" bibid="bib19" firstref="ref65"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl47" bibid="bib24" firstref="ref66"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl48" bibid="bib10" firstref="ref68"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl49" bibid="bib44" firstref="ref69"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl50" bibid="bib23" firstref="ref71"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl51" bibid="bib30" firstref="ref72"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl52" bibid="bib61" firstref="ref74"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl53" bibid="bib52" firstref="ref75"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl54" bibid="bib50" firstref="ref80"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl55" bibid="bib67" firstref="ref81"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl56" bibid="bib37" firstref="ref82"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl57" bibid="bib16" firstref="ref83"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl58" bibid="bib15" firstref="ref84"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl59" bibid="bib22" firstref="ref85"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl60" bibid="bib11" firstref="ref86"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl61" bibid="bib12" firstref="ref88"></nolink>
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  Data: Emotional Intelligence Development Predicts Novice Teachers' Professional Identity, Teaching Enthusiasm, and Teacher-Student Relationships: The Mediation of Positive Teacher Emotions
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  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jing+Long%22">Jing Long</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kuilin+Ying%22">Kuilin Ying</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Yangmei+Luo%22">Yangmei Luo</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Xuhai+Chen%22">Xuhai Chen</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5851-2373">0000-0001-5851-2373</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22European+Journal+of+Teacher+Education%22"><i>European Journal of Teacher Education</i></searchLink>. 2026 49(2):424-443.
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  Data: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
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  Data: 20
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  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
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  Label: Document Type
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Student+Relationship%22">Teacher Student Relationship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Rating+Scales%22">Rating Scales</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Measures+%28Individuals%29%22">Measures (Individuals)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Emotional+Intelligence%22">Emotional Intelligence</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Professional+Identity%22">Professional Identity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Beginning+Teachers%22">Beginning Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Attitudes%22">Teacher Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychological+Patterns%22">Psychological Patterns</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Positive+Attitudes%22">Positive Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Participation%22">Teacher Participation</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SU" term="%22Student+Teacher+Relationship+Scale%22">Student Teacher Relationship Scale</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1080/02619768.2024.2414910
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  Data: 0261-9768<br />1469-5928
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  Label: Abstract
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  Data: Teacher development involves the dynamic interplay between emotional intelligence and emotions. While previous research links these factors with their professional identity, teaching enthusiasm, and teacher-student relationships, the development characteristics of emotional intelligence and emotions remain unexplored in relation to these outcomes. In a two-year study with 357 novice teachers, emotional intelligence and emotions were tracked thrice. Data on professional identity, enthusiasm, and teacher-student relationships were collected at the final assessment. Latent growth curve modelling results revealed that only positive emotions, not negative ones, mediate the connection. Specifically, the initial level of positive emotions mediated the link between the initial level of emotional intelligence and teaching enthusiasm, professional identity, and teacher-student relationships. The growth rate of positive emotions notably mediated the relationship between emotional intelligence and professional identity, teaching enthusiasm, and teacher-student relationships. These findings offer new insights into the development of teachers' emotional intelligence, emotions, and professional growth.
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  Data: 2026
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        Type: general
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      – TitleFull: Emotional Intelligence Development Predicts Novice Teachers' Professional Identity, Teaching Enthusiasm, and Teacher-Student Relationships: The Mediation of Positive Teacher Emotions
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