Capturing pre-service language teachers’ social and emotional learning skills: Strengths, challenges, and needs

Year 2025, Volume: 14 Issue: 2, 119 - 142, 30.04.2025

Naile Canlı , Şerife Aygün Emine Kitiş , Yasemin Aslan , Demet Yaylı

https://doi.org/10.19128/turje.1485190

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the social and emotional learning (SEL) skills of pre-service language teachers. A sequential explanatory research design was employed, involving 139 participants from two different language programs, English Language Teaching and Turkish Language Teaching, at a university in Turkey. The quantitative data obtained through the SEL scale revealed that participants exhibited strong skills in problem-solving and relationship-building but demonstrated a moderate level of self-awareness. Additionally, their stress management skills were found to be underdeveloped. Qualitative analysis further revealed that essential SEL competencies, such as emotion regulation and anger management, were limited, and participants frequently relied on avoidance strategies for stress management. This study highlights that SEL strategies should be incorporated into teacher education programs to better prepare teacher candidates for the complexities of teaching and learning environments while promoting their overall well-being. The study concludes with recommendations for the inclusion of SEL interventions in teacher training curricula to enhance pre-service teachers’ social and emotional competence in their professional lives.

Keywords

Pre-service language teachers, SEL skills, Social emotional learning (SEL), Teacher education

Ethical Statement

Ethical approval for both the data collection methods and study content was granted by the Social and Human Sciences Ethics Committee of the Pamukkale University on May 11, 2022, with approval number of 13.05.2022-E.205227.

Dil öğretmeni adaylarının sosyal duygusal öğrenme becerilerinin saptanması: Güçlü yönler, zayıflıklar ve ihtiyaçlar

Abstract

Bu çalışmanın amacı, hizmet öncesi dil öğretmen adaylarının sosyal ve duygusal öğrenme (SDÖ) becerilerini incelemektir. Türkiye'deki bir üniversitenin İngilizce Öğretmenliği ve Türkçe Öğretmenliği olmak üzere iki farklı dil programından 139 katılımcının yer aldığı çalışmada sıralı açıklayıcı bir araştırma deseni kullanılmıştır. SDÖ ölçeği ile elde edilen nicel veriler, katılımcıların problem çözme ve ilişki kurma alanlarında güçlü becerilere sahip olduklarını, ancak öz farkındalık konusunda orta düzeyde bir yeterlilik sergilediklerini ortaya koymuştur. Bununla birlikte, stres becerilerinin yeterince gelişmemiş olduğu görülmüştür. Diğer yandan nitel analiz sonuçları duygu düzenleme ve öfke yönetimi gibi temel SDÖ becerilerinin sınırlı olduğunu ve katılımcıların stres yönetimi için sıklıkla kaçınma stratejilerine başvurduğunu ortaya koymuştur. Bu çalışma, öğretmen adaylarının karmaşık öğrenme ve öğretme ortamlarında başarılı olmaları ve kendi iyi oluşlarını artırmaları için öğretmen eğitimi programlarına SDÖ stratejilerinin dâhil edilmesi gerektiğini vurgulamaktadır. Ayrıca, öğretmen yetiştirme programlarına yönelik önerilerde bulunulmuş ve öğretmenlerin mesleki yaşamlarında sosyal ve duygusal yeterlilik için gerekli becerileri kazandırmak amacıyla SDÖ müdahalelerinin öğretmen eğitimi müfredatına dahil edilmesine yönelik önerilerle sonuçlanmaktadır.

Keywords

Öğretmen adayları, Öğretmen eğitimi, SDÖ becerileri, Sosyal duygusal öğrenme (SDÖ)

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