Teaching Emotion Regulation to Kindergarten Students: Teachers' Perspectives and Pracctices

The purpose of this qualitative research project was to learn what perspectives a small sample of kindergarten teachers in Ontario hold in regards to teaching emotion regulation, a skill that is proven to be vital for students’ social-emotional development, and how these perspectives inform their practice. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with two kindergarten teachers who work in publicly funded schools in Ontario. Interview transcripts were analysed and the emerged themes were organized into four main themes: the strategies used by the participants to teach their students to regulate their emotions; the outcomes they observed; the resources that helped to inform their practice; and the barriers and challenges they were facing in the area of teaching emotion regulation. Findings suggest that although teachers’ training programs were not identified as a main resource in this area, participants sought support from their colleagues to improve their practices and learn effective strategies to teach emotion regulation. Implications for the education community and personal practice are discussed, and recommendations are made for the Ontario College of Teachers and the faculties of education across Ontario to increase the emphasis being put on the social-emotional development of children in teachers’ preparation programs