The role of emotion regulation in mitigating work stress among shadow teachers in inclusive schools

Abstract

Shadow teachers play a vital role in supporting students with special educational needs in inclusive schools. High job demands, intensive emotional involvement, and continuous support responsibilities may increase their vulnerability to work-related stress. This study aimed to examine the effect of emotion regulation on work stress among shadow teachers in inclusive schools. A quantitative non-experimental correlational design was employed. Participants consisted of 255 shadow teachers who actively supported students with special educational needs and were selected using purposive sampling. Data were collected using an Emotion Regulation Scale based on Gross’s theory and the Job Stress Scale adapted from Parker and DeCotiis. Data were analyzed using simple linear regression. The results indicated that emotion regulation significantly predicted work stress among shadow teachers (β = .541, t = 10.228, p = .001). The coefficient of determination (R² = .293) showed that emotion regulation accounted for 29.3% of the variance in work stress, while the remaining 70.7% was explained by other factors outside the study. Descriptive findings revealed that most participants reported moderate levels of emotion regulation (60%) and work stress (66%). These findings suggest that emotion regulation plays an important role in the work stress experienced by shadow teachers. Therefore, strengthening emotion regulation competencies and providing psychological support within inclusive schools may help improve the well-being and professional effectiveness of shadow teachers.