<scp>TESOL</scp> Teacher Educators' Emotion Regulation in Times of Transformation: A Q Methodological Analysis of Divergent Responses to Emerging Technologies

Abstract Teacher educators are at the forefront of the digital transformation in education, as they are expected to use emerging technologies not only in their own teaching but also in preparing future teachers to integrate these technologies into their classrooms. Given this unique set of responsibilities, they are prone to be engaged in emotion‐eliciting situations where they must navigate the gap between their capabilities and the demands of new technologies. The objective of this study is to examine the emotion regulation (ER) strategies employed by TESOL teacher educators in response to emerging technologies. Using Q methodology, the study focuses on which ER strategies are used and why they are subjectively applied. Participants sorted a list of statements, each reflecting a strategy in the process model of ER, onto a nine‐column grid. The findings reveal three unique combinations of ER strategies. Based on these strategies, participants were categorized into attentional deployers , cognitive changers , and situation modifiers . While attentional deployers and cognitive changers used an internal regulation process focusing on the positive side or shifting their attention to other aspects of teaching, situation modifiers demonstrated various agentic actions to directly address the challenges posed by emerging technologies. As TESOL teacher educators are at different stages in their emotional responses to new technologies, professional learning programs should be designed to fulfill the specific need of each group.