Measuring teachers’ momentary affect: An exploratory experience sampling study

As researchers and school leaders increasingly recognize the importance of teachers’ emotions for both teachers and students, it is imperative that researchers document teachers’ affective experiences using ecologically valid methodologies. In this study, we use the experience sampling method to explore the momentary emotions of 238 teachers in two suburban school districts in the Northeast region of the United States. Using 1443 momentary affective reports, we report patterns in affect that emerged across the full sample of teachers, including the types of emotions teachers experienced most frequently and most intensely, as well as variance in momentary affective experiences, both within and across teachers. We consider ways in which professional role, professional activity, and affective appraisals relate to teachers’ momentary affective experiences, and conclude with a discussion of implications for future research and practice.