<b>Developing Emotion Regulation Competencies for Classroom Management: An Analysis of Pre-service Teachers in Punjab’s Educational Context</b>

This study investigated emotion regulation competencies in pre-service teachers in Punjab, Pakistan and how these skills impact their classroom management practices. A qualitative framework analysis methodology was used to analyse the data reported by 35 pre-service teachers in terms of in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and reflective journals. The results of the study show that pre-service teachers have a major issue in managing their emotions in classroom interaction, especially in cases involving disruptive students, overpopulation in the classes, and the lack of institutional resources or support. Four major themes emerged: the current understanding of emotion regulation, perceived classroom management challenges, strategies for developing emotion regulation competencies, and institutional barriers. The research designates cognitive reappraisal as the frequent emotion regulation technique used by pre-service teachers, and one employing expressive suppression realised a lesser degree of well-being and had more problems in relationships with others. The results indicate that incorporating emotion regulation training in teacher education programs might be tremendously effective in improving classroom management performance. This study is part of the emotional aspect of teaching in the Pakistani school setting which is emerging in the literature and has practical implications for teacher educators and policymakers. Keywords: Emotion Regulation, Classroom Management, Pre-Service Teachers, Cognitive Reappraisal, Expressive Suppression, Teacher Training, Punjab Pakistan