Exploring teachers’ psychological needs, motivating styles, emotion regulation and self-compassion: A comparative study before and during the COVID-19 lockdown

This correlational study investigated the mediation of emotion regulation and self-compassion in the relationship between teacher need satisfaction/frustration and adoption of (de)motivating styles before and during the COVID-19. Two groups of Italian teachers tested in 2019 (n = 259) and 2020 (n = 233) completed a series of questionnaires. In both times, need satisfaction was positively associated with adoption of motivating styles (bright path), whereas need frustration was associated with demotivating styles (dark path). Before, emotion reappraisal mediated this relationship, whereas self-compassion was the mediating factor during the lockdowns, suggesting that coping mechanisms can differ in stressful circumstances. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.