Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
EUROPEAN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION RESEARCH JOURNAL, cilt.0, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus)
This cross-sectional explanatory study took place in Turkiye involving 393 early childhood (EC) teachers working with children aged between 3 and 6 years old. The study aimed to determine the role of EC teachers’ perceived relationship with their class in explaining their emotion regulation and the socialization of children’s negative emotions during emotionally difficult times (EDT), using path analysis. The study findings revealed correlations between EC teachers’ emotion regulation strategies in terms of cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression; the perceived relationship with the class in terms of closeness and conflict; and the socialization of children’s negative emotions with supportive and non-supportive reactions during EDT within the early learning settings. Additionally, EC teachers’ perceived relationship with their class mediated their emotion regulation and the socialization of children’s negative emotions during EDT. Furthermore, supporting EC teachers in improving their emotional well-being should result in an advancement of their classroom practices and dynamics.