Teacher emotions during professional development: a systematic review of quantitative self-report instruments

Emotions are conceptualised as appraisal-driven processes that shape teachers’ engagement with professional development (PD) and the practices they adopt from it. This systematic literature review examined quantitative self-report instruments used to measure teacher emotions, focusing on their application in PD. A search across six databases (2015–2025) identified 285 records, of which 265 were screened and six validated instruments retained. These ranged from concise scales assessing anger, enjoyment, and anxiety to multidimensional instruments capturing emotions such as fatigue, shame, and hopelessness. A secondary analysis revealed that only one study applied these instruments within PD, exposing a major methodological gap. While recent advances have expanded the range of available instruments, their limited use in PD restricts cumulative understanding of teachers’ emotional experiences. The findings highlight the need to adapt and systematically apply these tools to strengthen the evidence base and support PD that is both cognitively effective and emotionally responsive.