The emotional labour of caring in teaching

This article is based on a collaborative action research study between one teacher and a teacher educator and provides an account of the emotional labour in enacting caring teaching in an inclusive classroom. The emotional labour demanded in caring relationships is an area of research that has not received much attention. Results from this case study show that this teacher's performance of emotional labour is related to her professional and philosophical stance about the role of caring in teaching and learning. The study also demonstrates that the performance of emotional labour is an important aspect of the reality of teaching and has an impact on teacher's commitment, satisfaction, and self-esteem. The implications of this research are discussed in terms of the consequences of emotional labour in teaching. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.