Teachers’ self-monitoring, environmental appraisals and their professional functioning

Teachers’ self-monitoring is generally thought to be a favorable characteristic because teachers are required to express appropriate emotions in the workplace. Based on a sample of 1,656 school teachers in Hong Kong, this study examines the dual effects of teachers’ self-monitoring on teacher efficacy and affective well-being as well as the mediating roles of perceived emotional job demands of teaching and trust in colleagues. The results indicate that teachers’ self-monitoring enhances their efficacy but does harm to their affective well-being. These dual effects are mediated by teachers’ perceptions of the emotional job demands of teaching but not the trust in colleagues. Trust in colleagues is positively associated with both indicators of teachers’ professional functioning. The findings highlight the importance of trust in colleagues and the potential roles played by school principals.