The Predictive Role of Teacher Emotions in Curriculum Fidelity: A Descriptive Study of English Language Instructors

This study examined the relationship between English as a Foreign Language instructors’ emotional experiences and their curriculum fidelity in Turkish university preparatory programs using a descriptive correlational design. Data were gathered from 71 English as a Foreign Language teachers employed in Turkish university preparatory programs in İstanbul. Data were collected online using the Curriculum Fidelity Scale and the Teacher Emotion Questionnaire, which assesses six emotional dimensions: joy, pride, love, anger, exhaustion, and hopelessness. Descriptive statistics were used to determine levels of emotional experiences and curriculum fidelity of instructors. Spearman’s rank-order correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationships between these variables. In addition, a multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to investigate the predictive role of teachers’ emotional experiences. For regression analysis, the emotional dimensions were grouped into positive emotions and negative emotions. Results indicated that the composite positive emotion index (joy, pride, and love) was significantly and positively associated with curriculum fidelity whereas negative emotions (anger, exhaustion, and hopelessness) showed no significant relationship in this sample. These findings suggest that, in this sample, teachers’ positive emotional experiences may be associated with more faithful curriculum implementation, highlighting the potential role of emotional well-being in instructional practice.

Cite this article as: Kaptan, Ş., & Cincioğlu, O. (2026). The predictive role of teacher emotions in curriculum fidelity: A descriptive study of English language instructors. HAYEF: Journal of Education, 23, 0032, doi:10.5152/hayef.2026.26032.