Teachers’ Experiences in Building Responsive Pedagogical Interactions toward Students’ Psychological Well-Being Challenges

Yonas Muanley; Eka Ariyati; Kristin Anggraini

doi:10.55927/jeda.v5i1.617

Authors

Yonas Muanley Sekolah Tinggi Teologi IKSM Santosa Asih
Eka Ariyati Univeritas Tanjungpura, Indonesia
Kristin Anggraini Universitas Katolik Widya Mandala Surabaya,

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55927/jeda.v5i1.617

Keywords:

Teachers’ Experiences, Responsive Pedagogy, Pedagogical Interaction, Psychological Well-Being, Junior Secondary School

Abstract

The increasing psychological well-being challenges faced by students at the junior secondary education level, particularly in urban school contexts, require teachers to move beyond an exclusive focus on academic achievement and to develop responsive pedagogical interactions that address students’ emotional needs. This study aims to explore teachers’ experiences in building responsive pedagogical interactions toward students’ psychological well-being challenges and to identify the strategies, dynamics, and constraints encountered in everyday classroom practice. A qualitative approach with an interpretative phenomenological design was employed. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews and classroom observations involving eight public junior secondary school teachers in Jakarta, Indonesia, The data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify patterns of meaning and key themes emerging from teachers’ lived experiences. The findings reveal that teachers develop responsive pedagogical interactions through enhanced emotional awareness, empathetic communication, instructional flexibility, and the creation of psychologically safe classroom environments.

References

Aldrup, K., Carstensen, B., & Klusmann, U. (2022). Is empathy the key to effective teaching? A systematic review of its association with teacher-student interactions and student outcomes. Educational Psychology Review, 34(3), 1177–1216.

Bosacki, S., Talwar, V., & Lecce, S. (2023). Critical review: Secondary school climate and adolescents’ emotional well-being. Adolescents, 3(3), 508–523.

Burns, M., Bally, J., Burles, M., Holtslander, L., & Peacock, S. (2022). Constructivist grounded theory or interpretive phenomenology? Methodological choices within specific study contexts. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 21, 16094069221077758.

Chand, S. P. (2025). Methods of data collection in qualitative research: Interviews, focus groups, observations, and document analysis. Advances in Educational Research and Evaluation, 6(1), 303–317.

Derakhshan, A., Karimpour, S., Alizadeh Oghyanous, P., & Nazari, M. (2026). The interconnection between teacher motivation and identity construction: an interpretative phenomenological approach. Applied Linguistics Review, 17(1), 25–46.

Drolet, M.-J., Rose-Derouin, E., Leblanc, J.-C., Ruest, M., & Williams-Jones, B. (2023). Ethical issues in research: Perceptions of researchers, research ethics board members and research ethics experts. Journal of Academic Ethics, 21(2), 269–292.

Fitrianto, I. (2025). Beyond Competence: Rethinking Education for Holistic Well-Being and Happiness. International Journal of Post Axial: Futuristic Teaching and Learning, 1–11.

Garcia-Peinado, R. (2023). The impact of classroom climate on emotional development in childhood. Environment and Social Psychology, 9(1), 1–17.

Garrett, R. (2025). ‘Your story matters’: the affective and relational work of teachers in sites of poverty and trauma. The Australian Educational Researcher, 52(2), 1557–1573.

Han, L., Gao, X., Wang, X., & Ren, W. (2024). The relationship between academic stress and educational anxiety: learning anxiety and learning weariness as mediators. Current Psychology, 43(40), 31592–31603.

Harjunmaa, A., Määttä, K., & Uusiautti, S. (2023). How to develop a socio-emotionally safe environment in the classroom. International Journal of Innovation and Research in Educational Sciences, 10(5), 218–230.

Kidd, L. N. (2022). Teachers building trusting relationships with students in elementary schools and the principals who support them. The College of William and Mary.

Konstantinidis, A. (2024). An integrative review of the literature on factors influencing student well-being in the learning environment. International Journal of Educational Research Open, 7, 100384.

Lapidot-Lefler, N. (2025). Teacher responsiveness in inclusive education: A participatory study of pedagogical practice, well-being, and sustainability. Sustainability, 17(7), 2919.

Lee, S. J., York, P. M., Williams III, J. A., Richardson, S. C., Davis, A. W., Williams, B. K., & Lewis, C. W. (2023). Teachers’ psychological distress in North Carolina: An analysis of urban versus non-urban school districts. Urban Education, 58(9), 2146–2176.

Li, Y., & Zhang, L. (2024). Exploring the relationships among teacher–student dynamics, learning enjoyment, and burnout in EFL students: the role of emotional intelligence. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1329400.

Makhmetov, A., Satanov, A., & Yessenbekova, K. (2026). A person centered analysis of student well being and academic achievement using PISA 2022 data from Kazakhstan. Discover Education.

Meydan, C. H., & Akkaş, H. (2024). The role of triangulation in qualitative research: Converging perspectives. In Principles of conducting qualitative research in multicultural settings (pp. 98–129). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-3306-8.ch006

Mouta, A., Torrecilla-Sánchez, E. M., & Pinto-Llorente, A. M. (2025). Comprehensive professional learning for teacher agency in addressing ethical challenges of AIED: Insights from educational design research. Education and Information Technologies, 30(3), 3343–3387.

Nwoko, J. C., Anderson, E., Adegboye, O., Malau-Aduli, A. E. O., & Malau-Aduli, B. S. (2024). Navigating teachers’ occupational well-being in the tides of classroom processes and school structures. Education Sciences, 14(11), 1225.

Rachmawati, T., & Fathurahman, A. Z. (2025). Exploring the Impact of Non–Lecture-Based Public Ethics Learning Among Students. Public Integrity, 1–21.

Ricita, D. A., Halim, A., & Sunarti, S. (2025). Exploring teachers’ and students’ perceptions of deep learning: Integrating meaningful, mindful, and joyful learning in ELT classrooms. Borneo Educational Journal (Borju), 7(2), 323–347.

Romanovska, L., & Novak, M. (2024). The role of teacher-student relationships in providing social and psychological support to participants of the educational process. Social Work and Education, 11(2), 308–319.

Savandha, S. D., Azzahra, A., & Kangas, J. (2024). The integrated governance model for improving education quality (IGMEQ): A comparative analysis of Indonesia and Finland systems. OPSearch: American Journal of Open Research, 3(5), 1018–1028.

Shengyao, Y., Xuefen, L., Jenatabadi, H. S., Samsudin, N., Chunchun, K., & Ishak, Z. (2024). Emotional intelligence impact on academic achievement and psychological well-being among university students: the mediating role of positive psychological characteristics. BMC Psychology, 12(1), 389.

Sun, Y., Zhou, G., & Deng, X. (2024). Emotional intelligence and joyful teaching: pathways to enhanced student engagement and achievement. Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media, 52(1), 163–168.

Tong, Q. (2025). Exploring the Interplay Between Teachers’ Emotions, Personal Traits, Environmental Factors and Psychological Well‐Being. European Journal of Education, 60(1), e12903.

Tripon, C., Gonța, I., & Bulgac, A. (2023). Nurturing minds and sustainability: an exploration of educational interactions and their impact on student well-being and assessment in a sustainable university. Sustainability, 15(12), 9349.

Udayanga, S. (2025). Reflexive and iterative thematic analysis (RITA): A design-framework for qualitative research. Qualitative Research, 14687941251377282.

Wang, J., & Jou, M. (2023). The influence of mobile-learning flipped classrooms on the emotional learning and cognitive flexibility of students of different levels of learning achievement. Interactive Learning Environments, 31(3), 1309–1321.

Williams III, J. A., Mallant, C., & Svajda-Hardy, M. (2023). A gap in culturally responsive classroom management coverage? A critical policy analysis of states’ school discipline policies. Educational Policy, 37(5), 1191–1216.

Wong, Z. Y., Liem, G. A. D., Chan, M., & Datu, J. A. D. (2024). Student engagement and its association with academic achievement and subjective well-being: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Educational Psychology, 116(1), 48.

Wu, D., & Dong, X. (2024). Autonomy support, peer relations, and teacher-student interactions: implications for psychological well-being in language learning. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1358776.