The purpose of this exploratory study was to gain insight into the perceived importance of emotional awareness with pre-service teachers (PSTs) participating in a mixed reality simulator (MRS), as well as the impact of emotional awareness exercises in a MRS on adaptiveness in coping and empathy. Emotional awareness includes the cognitive skills of appraisal, emotional recognition, and emotional regulation. Emotional intelligence, empathy, and adaptiveness in coping provided the theoretical framework for this study. A mixed-methods convergent research design was employed. The quantitative aspect of the study followed a quasi-experimental design and utilized a convenience sample of pre-service teachers (n = 27) enrolled in an Introduction to Education course that used an MRS, with the treatment group (n = 15) participating in emotional awareness exercises and the comparison group (n = 12) did not. Total Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy (QCAE) scores, Cognitive Empathy QCAE subscale scores, Affective Empathy QCAE subscale scores, and Personal Functioning Inventory (PFI) scores were compared both between groups and within groups. Statistical significance using an adjusted p-value of 0.033 was found on the Chi-Square Test for Independence for the Affective Empathy QCAE subscale score, (X[superscript 2](1, 27) = 7.04, p = 0.008), and on the follow up Paired Sign Test for the Affective Empathy subscale for the treatment group using an a-priori p-value of 0.10 (p = 0.035). Additionally, an analysis of responses to the treatment package found a lack of consensus in appraisal of a mock event using the Mood Meter. Three themes emerged from the qualitative analysis of survey responses and interviews: emotional awareness as it related to emotional state, emotional state and emotional awareness as it related to having an impact on performance, and emotional awareness as it related to the context of the simulator experience. A comparison of quantitative and qualitative findings revealed three mixed methods findings: (a) perceived importance of proactive coping strategies, (b) developing awareness of the importance of affective cues for understanding the emotional state of students, and (c) differing emphasis on the need to regulate emotion. This study explored the potential benefits of improved emotional awareness abilities of pre-service teachers. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]