Year: 2025
Type: review
Study design: Systematic Review
Abstract: Love is recognized as a fundamental pillar in education, yet empirical research on this topic remains limited. Given this gap, the present study conducts a systematic review by analyzing studies from Web of Science and Scopus. The review focuses exclusively on formal educational settings and includes 24 empirical studies employing both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Five key themes emerged: the conceptualization of love in education, its influence on teachers’ professional success and well-being, its impact on students’ social and emotional development, the role of love in fostering positive teacher-student relationships, and the ethical and practical challenges of integrating love into educational practice. The findings highlight love’s benefits, including enhanced well-being, professional satisfaction, and academic success, while also noting the need for clear definitions, ethical guidelines, and training for educators. Overall, the review suggests that love in education is a powerful yet context-dependent phenomenon. It supports the integration of love into educational policies and practices and serves as a foundation for future research, providing valuable insights for policymakers, teacher educators, and practitioners.
Source: Review of Educational Research
Authors: Alicia Díaz-Megolla, Samuel Falcon
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: bronze
Award: G6724666914
OpenAlex ID: W4416248990