Emotional labor and work engagement among school teachers: The mediating roles of grit and teacher identity

Emotional labor is vital for effective teaching and sustained professional functioning; however, its contribution to positive work-related outcomes remains underexplored in empirical research. Based on the Job Demands–Resources model, the present study examined the relationships between emotional labor strategies, teacher identity, grit, and work engagement among high school teachers. Data were collected from 323 high school teachers in Kerala, India, through self-report measures. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling, which revealed that the expression of naturally felt emotions was positively associated with work engagement, both directly and indirectly, through teacher identity and grit. Deep acting and surface acting were not directly related to work engagement but demonstrated significant indirect associations through teacher identity and grit. These findings highlight the mediating roles of teacher identity and grit in linking emotional labor strategies to work engagement and emphasize the importance of enhancing personal and professional resources to improve teachers’ engagement in emotionally demanding professional settings.