Classroom demands and resources and emotional labour strategies in Chinese after-school programs

Using the Classroom Appraisal of Resources and Demands (CARD), this study investigated the relationships between classroom demands and resources and emotional labor strategies among 259 full-time teachers participating in after-school programs in mainland China. Results showed that these teachers generally perceived higher demands than resources. Administrative demands emerged as the primary stressors, while general program resources offered the most support. Furthermore, emotional labor strategies differed significantly based on perceived demands and resources. Higher demands correlated with increased surface acting and reduced genuine expression, whereas greater resources was associated with more authentic emotional expression. Further analysis indicated that children with special needs, administrative demands, and the presence of additional adult predicted deep acting. These findings emphasize the importance of providing adequate resources and reducing administrative demands to support teachers' emotional well-being in after-school programs. Practical implications and directions for future research are discussed.