Development and validation of an emotion regulation training intervention for primary education students

Background The present intervention study aims to implement a course concept (ERTL) for emotion regulation (ER) in higher-education teacher training in Austria. ERTL was designed to prepare participants for emotionally charged situations in their future profession. Objective This study investigated the impact of an ER training program for primary pre-service teachers (ERTL). The development of ERTL takes into account the social environment encountered by pre-service teachers, focusing on training both intra- and interpersonal ER strategies (ERS). This is done within the context of emotional labor demands, socially challenging classroom situations, and individual experiences and preferences. Methods Quantitative data were collected using a quasi-experimental design. The intervention ( n = 86) and control ( n = 42) groups completed questionnaires assessing intra- (RESS) and interpersonal (IERQ) ERS at two measurement points (pre- and post-intervention). Due to curricular guidelines, the intervention spanned 3 weeks across three modules. Results The evaluation showed significantly increased arousal control ( p = 0.03, robust ES = 0.74) and reappraisal ( p = 0.011, ω 2 = 0.012), as well as decreased rumination ( p = 0.017, ω 2 = 0.012), among students in the intervention group, with no significant changes in the control group. No significant effects were found in the interpersonal ER scales. Conclusion Based on these findings, the CSI model (Context-Situation-Individual), derived from the ERTL design, not only provides a promising framework for the intervention but also serves as a bridge between theory and practice for the application of ERS by teachers in the classroom. The further development of the ERTL prototype into five modules with more exercises on interpersonal ERS will provide additional insights.