Why Teacher Anxiety Has Become a Critical Education Issue
Teacher anxiety is increasingly recognized as a systemic challenge in modern education. Educators are expected to manage growing administrative workloads, curriculum reforms, digital learning demands, and complex classroom dynamics, often with limited emotional support. International evidence shows that anxiety symptoms among teachers have risen sharply in recent years, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic.
High anxiety levels do not only affect teachers’ personal well-being. They are closely linked to reduced teaching effectiveness, strained teacher–student relationships, and higher burnout and turnover rates. As education systems promote mindfulness-based learning and social-emotional education for students, many teachers are asked to deliver these approaches without receiving equivalent support for their own emotional health.
Against this backdrop, there is growing policy and professional interest in evidence-based interventions that support teachers’ emotional regulation. While mindfulness, art therapy, and growth mindset training have each been studied separately, little research has examined their combined impact on teachers in real classroom contexts. This gap is what the new Indonesian study addresses.
How the Research Was Carried Out
The research team used a mixed-methods design, combining quantitative measurement with in-depth qualitative insights. The study involved 40 elementary school teachers in the Semarang region, all of whom faced high teaching demands under the national curriculum.
Participants were divided into two groups:
· Experimental group (20 teachers): Took part in a six-week integrated program.
· Control group (20 teachers): Continued routine activities without the intervention.
The intervention included two sessions per week, each lasting around one hour. Every session combined three elements:
· Art therapy, such as expressive drawing, mandala coloring, and visual journaling
· Growth mindset practices, focused on reframing challenges and learning from mistakes
· Mindfulness activities, including breathing exercises, body awareness, and grounding techniques
Teacher anxiety and emotional regulation were measured before and after the program using validated psychological scales. To deepen understanding, the researchers also conducted in-depth interviews with selected teachers to capture lived experiences and emotional changes during the program.
Key Findings: Anxiety Drops as Emotional Regulation Improves
The results showed clear and consistent benefits for teachers who joined the integrated program.
Significant reduction in anxiety
· Teachers in the intervention group showed a large and statistically significant drop in anxiety scores.
· Average anxiety levels decreased by more than one full point on a five-point scale.
· The control group showed no meaningful change over the same period.
Stronger emotional regulation skills
· Teachers demonstrated marked improvement in cognitive reappraisal, the ability to reinterpret stressful situations in more adaptive ways.
· Reliance on emotional suppression declined, indicating healthier emotional awareness and expression.
· Mindfulness practices helped teachers recognize stress signals earlier and respond calmly rather than reactively.
Emotional regulation explains why anxiety fell
Advanced analysis showed that emotional regulation played a central mediating role. In simple terms, the intervention reduced anxiety because it first strengthened teachers’ ability to manage emotions. This confirms that emotional regulation is not just an outcome, but a key mechanism driving well-being improvements.
Teachers’ own reflections supported the data. Many described feeling calmer, more focused, and better equipped to handle classroom pressure. One participant explained that creative activities helped “slow down” racing thoughts, while another noted that growth mindset training reduced fear of making mistakes.
Why the Findings Matter Beyond the Classroom
The study offers practical insights for education leaders, policymakers, and teacher training institutions.
· For schools: Integrated well-being programs can be embedded into professional development without disrupting teaching schedules.
· For policymakers: Supporting teacher mental health is a strategic investment that improves classroom climate and learning quality.
· For teacher education: Emotional regulation skills should be treated as core professional competencies, not optional extras.
· For education systems: Multimodal approaches work better than single-method interventions because they address emotional, cognitive, and attentional needs together.
As Robertus Heru Setyo Suhartono of Universitas Semarang explains, emotional well-being does not come from one technique alone. He notes that combining creative expression, adaptive thinking, and present-moment awareness gives teachers “a complete strategy to face daily classroom pressure.”
Author Profile
Robertus
Heru Setyo Suhartono, M.Pd. Lecturer and education psychology researcher
Universitas Semarang Expertise: teacher well-being, emotional regulation, and
mindfulness in education
Co-authors:
· Yustina Sapan, M.Pd. – PIP Semarang, educational development
· Indrojiono, M.Pd. – ASM Marsudirini Santa Maria Yogyakarta, teacher training
· Asmi Ode, M.Pd. – Universitas Darussalam Ambon, educational psychology
· Pierre Marcello Lopulalan, M.M. – Politeknik Pelayaran Banten, applied education and training
Source
Journal article: The Influence of Art Therapy, Growth Mindset, and Mindfulness Practices in Reducing Teacher Anxiety: A Mixed-Methods Approach
Journal: Asian Journal of Applied Education
Publication year: 2026
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