Navigating for Positive Group Dynamics Through Emotion Regulation: A Multimodal Conversation Analysis on Teacher Discussions in Chinese EFL Curriculum Development

Emotion regulation has been widely studied in psychology and linguistic anthropology but is underexplored in pedagogical conversations, especially in collaborative project development. This study examines the emotional dynamics during 6.5-h video-recorded discussions for developing an English for foreign language (EFL) learning course among six teachers at a Chinese university. Using multimodal conversation analysis (MCA), the study provides a detailed understanding of how emotions are regulated through verbal and non-verbal cues to navigate for positive group dynamics. Key findings include the effective management of disagreements, transforming complaints into motivational forces, and acknowledging self-progress related to collective contributions to enhance group dynamics and cohesion. The study underscores the importance of moment-by-moment understanding of emotional intelligence and regulation strategies in educational settings, offering practical implications for teacher training programs and collaborative projects. However, studying a single team in one university highlights the need for further research on diverse educational contexts and the long-term effects of emotion regulation on group dynamics. Despite valuable insights provided by the MCA approach, other qualitative methods can be considered to complement it in understanding the underlying reasons and motivations driving effective emotion regulation.