Research agendas and teaching emotions among academics: The mediating role of teaching efficacy

Scholars have long debated the existence of the research-teaching nexus. Guided by the Job Demands-Resources model, the present study pioneered the investigation of the predictive power of academics’ research agendas for their emotions in teaching, considering the mediating role of academic self-efficacy (i.e., teaching efficacy and research efficacy). Participants were 332 academics from nine research-oriented comprehensive universities in mainland China. The participants responded to the Multi-Dimensional Research Agendas Inventory-12, the Research-Teaching Efficacy Inventory-6, and the Emotions in Teaching Inventory-Revised-6. Academics who were more deeply engaged in creative research agendas tended to report more positive emotions in teaching, whereas those more engaged in conventional research agendas tended to report more negative teaching emotions. These statistical predictive findings were obtained, with academics’ age, academic rank, gender, and academic discipline controlled for. Moreover, teaching efficacy provided a pathway from creative research agendas to both positive and negative teaching emotions. These findings unveiled intricate interconnections between academics’ research and teaching. The study has made theoretical contributions and it has practical implications for both academics and university senior managers in their respective efforts to promote positive teaching emotions through fostering creativity in research agendas and boosting teaching efficacy. Furthermore, the limitations of the study can provide guidance for future research directions. Copyright © 2025 Elsevier Ltd.