ABSTRACT
This chapter traces the lineage of research exploring communication and emotions in instructional settings. It describes emotional response theory (ERT) and then discusses several studies aimed at expanding the theory. The chapter discusses several additional strands of research exploring classroom emotions and describes by synthesizing several knowledge claims, offering suggestions to teachers and practitioners, and identifying potential avenues for researchers interested in exploring this topic further. ERT assumes that various behaviors used by teachers and students are perceived with emotional meaning, which result in emotional reactions and subsequent behavioral responses. Those responses, in turn, are assigned emotional meaning and responded to, thus creating a relational cycle of emotionally driven actions and reactions that help define relationships between teachers and students. Thus, the general way in which ERT has been expanded is through the exploration of potential moderating variables or variables that potentially influence the strength of the relationship between teachers' behaviors and students' emotional reactions.
