Affective pedagogy in pre-service teacher education: a twofold approach combining explicit and vicarious learning
Carolina Falcón-Linares
pp 3 - 20
What happens when affection and the awareness of affectivity, in the sense of ‘love’ or ‘tenderness’, become the objects of training and evaluation in pre-service teacher education? Our theoretical framework describes the link between positive emotional arousal and learning, the role played by the emotional dimension in the construction of a professional teaching identity, and the relevance of a teacher’s historical-emotional background for the cognitive construction of heuristics. We developed a teaching program designed to energize the experience of pre-service teachers in the university classroom. Through positive emotional arousal, we aimed to provoke a series of creative reflection processes regarding the teaching profession. Our research goal was to describe and interpret the program’s potential effects on the learning process and the construction of these pre-service teachers’ professional identity. The method applied in this paper was action-research carried out during three academic years of fieldwork with a total of 365 students. We coded the students’ narratives regarding their learning process and teaching identity into several conceptual nodes representing their insights and feelings concerning those topics. Our results and discussion highlight the importance of affective teacher education as a means of enhancing pre-service teachers’ learning, contributing toward the growth of their professional identity, and cultivating a culture of care and love in the classroom.
Portraits of pre-service special education teachers: Perspectives on well-being and its association with self-efficacy and work engagement
Valeria Cavioni, Giusi Toto and Veronica Ornaghi
pp 21 - 36
The well-being of teachers is a critical concern with significant implications for teaching effectiveness and student outcomes. However, there exists a notable gap in the literature concerning the well-being of pre-service teachers. Moreover, there is a scarcity of research focusing on the unique challenges faced by prospective special education teachers. This study addresses this dual gap by exploring the well-being of pre-service special education teachers and its relationship with self-efficacy and work commitment. Data was collected from a sample of 133 preservice teachers (mean age = 38,14; sd = 8.25 years) enrolled in a professional course for high school special education teachers. Employing cluster analysis, three distinct profiles based on mental health, perceived stress, and resilience z-scores were identified. We further explored how the identified well-being profiles related to self-efficacy and work engagement. The findings provide valuable insights on improving educational policies, personalized teacher training programs, and early support structures to nurture educators’ well-being and equip them with the skills necessary to navigate the complex landscape of special education.
Relationality and student engagement in higher education: Towards enhanced students’ learning experiences
Yaw Owusu-Agyeman and Enna M. Moroeroe
pp 37 - 53
This study examines how student engagement and social relationships between teachers and students may enhance the learning experiences of students in a South African university. Two separate sets of semi-structured interviews were held with 27 university teachers and 51 students respectively. The findings revealed that that the relationships between the behavioural and cognitive dimensions of student engagement and social relationships between teachers and students are motivated by good relational communication; relational pedagogy; good inter-relational culture; teacher relational competences (cognitive, behavioural and inter-cultural); and teacher demonstration of care. The current study adds to the literature on relational pedagogy and student engagement by highlighting the importance of inter-relational culture and teacher relational competences to the behavioural and cognitive development of university students. Moreover, when students and particularly, first generation students, students from low socio-economic backgrounds and students from rural communities develop good relationships with their teachers, they are set to have positive learning experiences.
The emotional well-being of teachers and school personnel: An experience sampling study
Pehr Jakobsson, Åse Fagerlund, Mari Laakso and Monica Londen
pp 54 - 70
The present study addresses the concern for the well-being of teachers and school personnel by examining the efficacy of a multicomponent positive psychology intervention aimed at enhancing emotional well-being in the school environment. The study design comprised a clustered randomized controlled trial, targeting teachers and school personnel working in Finnish basic education. Data collection encompassed the utilization of both the Experience Sampling Method (ESM, n = 241) to assess state-like emotions and questionnaires (n = 245) to evaluate trait-like emotions. The results showed a post-intervention increase in state-like distinct emotions of interest and a trend towards increased engagement in the intervention group, and conversely, increased stress in the control group. Positive trait-like emotions increased in the intervention group post intervention. The intervention further resulted in decreased stress and loneliness amongst teachers and school personnel when in the company of students, and decreased stress while working. The results indicate that positive psychology interventions may be efficacious in enhancing teachers’ emotional well-being. Additionally, assessing both state- and trait-like emotions contributes to a broader understanding of this efficacy, whilst measuring teachers’ experienced emotions can increase ecological validity.
The Relationship between Emotional Intelligence of School Principals, Psychological Climate, and Teacher Motivation
Shwu Ming Wu
pp 71 - 85
Psychometrically sound and practical measures of emotional intelligence of school principals, psychological climate, and teacher motivation were developed. The aim of this study was to explore the relationships and effects among these variables and to compare the differences between high school and vocational high school, as well as public and private school teachers. A sample of 336 teachers was recruited from different high and vocational high schools in Taiwan. Through MANOVA and hierarchical multiple regression analyses, these measures of emotional intelligence of school principals, psychological climate, and teacher motivation were found to be reliable and valid instruments. Vocational high school teachers scored higher than high school teachers on perceived self-motivation of principals, psychological climate, and teacher motivation. Private school teachers showed higher perceived empathy and principals’ relationships, as well as pressure of psychological climate, whereas public school teachers exhibited higher levels of psychological climate and intrinsic motivation. Additionally, strong positive correlations were found among all three variables, particularly, emotional intelligence of principals and psychological climate, which were found to be significant predictors of teacher motivation. The implication for school principals is that they should focus on enhancing their emotional intelligence and creating a more positive psychological climate, which in turn, promotes teacher motivation.
The Role of Resilience in the Relationships between the Big Five Personality Traits and Life Satisfaction and Anxiety
Marija Crnković, Marija Šarić Drnas and Diana Olčar
pp 86 - 102
The objective of this study was to examine the role resilience plays in the relationship between the Big Five personality traits and anxiety and life satisfaction. A total of 470 students from the University of Zagreb in Croatia participated in the study. The results are explained within the framework of McCrae and Costa's (1991) temperament and instrumental model of personality and well-being. A path analysis and a bootstrapping resampling method were performed. Higher levels of extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and emotional stability were associated with higher levels of resilience, which was related to lower levels of anxiety and higher life satisfaction. It can be concluded that resilience is a full mediator between extraversion and conscientiousness on the one hand, and life satisfaction and anxiety on the other. In addition, resilience is a partial mediator between agreeableness and emotional stability, and also between life satisfaction and anxiety. The practical contribution of the study lies in understanding how to better support students’ mental health by targeting the protective factors of different personality traits.
The Relationship between Mindfulness and Resilience in Maltese Undergraduates: A study of Affective Well-being as a Potential Mediator
Elaine Atkins and Matthew Muscat-Inglott
pp 103 - 121
Existing research suggests that mindfulness cultivates positive affect while reducing negative affect, and facilitates increases in resilience. More research is needed to examine the complex mechanisms by which emotional affect likely translates mindfulness into increased states of resilience in undergraduates. We hypothesised that the relationship between mindfulness and resilience in Maltese undergraduates is mediated by both positive and negative affect. Using a cross-sectional survey design and quantitative methodology based on mediation analysis, a questionnaire comprising the Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, and Brief Resilience Scale was circulated among 226 Maltese undergraduates. The results support previous research indicating significant relationships between mindfulness and both forms of emotional affect, as well as increased resilience. A path analysis revealed full mediation of the interaction between mindfulness and resilience by affective well-being. The indirect pathways through positive and negative affect to resilience, cumulatively accounted for a majority of the explanatory power attributable to mindfulness alone. Finally, an argument is presented in favour of mindfulness as a more formalised intervention within higher education settings, to support broader psychological wellness outcomes among Maltese undergraduates.
Attachment and Social Connectedness: The Sequential Mediating Role of Inferiority and Perfectionism
Ezgi Ekin Şahin and Baki Duy
pp 122 - 139
A large body of research has been reported on the lifelong consequences of attachment, with social connectedness being one of the main related factors. It is thus crucial to determine the mediating variables in the relationship between attachment and social connectedness. To better understand the relationship between anxious and avoidant attachment styles and social connectedness among university students, this study investigated the sequential mediating roles of inferiority and perfectionism. The study involved 390 undergraduate students (257 female, 133 male) enrolled in various undergraduate programs. Data was collected through various scales including the Experiences in Close Relationships, Almost Perfect Scale, Social Connectedness, and Inferiority Scale. Structural equation modeling shows that adaptive perfectionism partially mediates the relationship between avoidant attachment and social connectedness. Additionally, inferiority functions as a mediator between anxious attachment and maladaptive perfectionism, while maladaptive perfectionism partially functions as a mediator between inferiority and social connection. The results suggest that it would be beneficial for practitioners to address inferiority and perfectionism so as to promote social connectedness among undergraduate students.
The validity of the TMMS-24 emotional intelligence scale in a context of music-oriented secondary school students in Italy
Anna Patti-Signorelli and José Javier Romero-Díaz de la Guardia
pp 140 - 155
The present study aimed to determine the emotional characteristics of the Trait-Meta-Mood-Scale (TMMS-24) in music-oriented secondary school students in Italy. A 24-item self-assessment protocol was applied to measure the level of perceived emotional intelligence according to 3 dimensions: attention, clarity and repair. This tool represents one of the most widely used self-assessment measures of perceived emotional intelligence. The objective of the study was to conduct construct validation to examine reliability of the Italian version of the TMMS-24 in order to identify its feasibility for the assessment of emotional intelligence. Exploratory and confirmatory factorial analyses were conducted on a sample of music-oriented secondary school students in Italy (n=402). Exploratory factor analysis outcomes revealed that the three dimensions of the original scale (attention, clarity and emotional repair) are supported in the examined context, showing adequate internal consistency and describing 52.6% of overall variance. Outcomes were confirmed via confirmatory analysis, obtaining good fit indices (CFI=0.986; TLI=0.985; RMSEA=0.038). The TMMS-24 scale is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring the emotional intelligence of secondary school students in Italy.
Short Research Report: When Teachers have Autonomy to create SEL Initiatives: Conceptualizations and Iterations
John-Tyler Binfet, Freya L. L. Green, Sherri Roche and Cassidy Scott
pp 156 - 163
Teachers may be encouraged to follow a prescribed curriculum when teaching social and emotional learning (SEL), and varied research findings attest to the efficacy of this approach in fostering students’ social and emotional competencies. An alternative approach might see teachers create SEL initiatives and infuse, embed, or integrate SEL into core teaching content. This case study explored how, when asked to foster social and emotional learning within their schools, 16 SEL teachers created learning opportunities for students to bolster their social and emotional skills. Teachers were asked to first define SEL and then to create portfolios showcasing three of their SEL lessons or initiatives. Content analysis of definitions revealed that teachers largely defined SEL as fostering students’ self-awareness and self-management. Content analysis of each of the teachers’ lessons indicated that the learning opportunities or initiatives that teachers introduced were predominantly social in nature and oftentimes focused on having students practice emotion regulation strategies. Findings inform our understanding of the perceptions and actualizations of SEL in applied contexts.
Short Research Report: Conflict management in Physical Education: The critical role of team-based activities in physical education to improve cooperation and wellbeing
Aniko Dely-Palinkas, Noemi Tari-Keresztes and Himanshu Gupta
pp 164 - 168
Physical Education (PE) teachers’ responsibility is critical in supporting the development of students’ motivation, positive attitude and behaviour. . This study explored students’ conflict management styles, the most common sources of conflicts during PE, and the relationship between conflict management styles, self-perceived health and social-emotional wellbeing among high school students in Hungary. A self-administered, anonymous, cross-sectional survey was completed by students in high school (n=385, 54.8 % female Mage =16.98 yrs, SD. 1.28). Only 2.9% of the students reported applying a collaborating management style. These students also rated their health higher. However, students with competitive conflict management were more satisfied with their lives. Most students never had conflicts with the teacher, and if any, they used accommodating conflict management strategies. Behavioural expectations, extreme performance requirements, and disliking the subject were the most common sources of conflicts in PE. The conflict management strategies did not significantly correlate with the psychosomatic symptoms scale; however, students with collaborating conflict management reported fewer sleep problems. These findings underpin the significant role of conflict management skills in health and social-emotional wellbeing.
Short Research Report: The impact of the Sentituz programmes on emotional competence and social climate in the classroom
Jon Berastegui-Martínez, María Ángeles de la Caba-Collado and Núria Pérez-Escoda
pp 169 - 174
The aim of this preliminary study was to evaluate the effects of two emotional education programmes in a charter school in Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain, on students’ emotional competence and the social climate in the classroom. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest repeated measures design with a control group was utilized in the study. The participants in the study were 105 students in Year 6 of primary school and Year 2 of secondary school. The Emotional Development Questionnaire (EDQ) and the Classroom Social Climate Scale (CES) were used to assess the effect of the intervention. The results indicate that the ‘Sentituz 10-12’ programme is effective in improving students’ social competence and the quality of student-teacher relationships, whereas the ‘Sentituz 12-14’ programme is effective in promoting the emotional autonomy and overall emotional competence of students. This was however, a small scale preliminary study, and further and more rigorous studies are also need in order to evaluate the impact of these two emotional education programmes.
Short Research Report: Theory of Constructed Emotion: Emotional vocabulary and emotional intelligence
Alejandra Daniela Calero, Nicole Rosenfeld, María Belén Jader, Débora Inés Burin
pp 175 - 179
The present work aims to study the relationship between perceived emotional intelligence, and general and emotional vocabulary. Undergraduate Psychology (N = 99) and Design (N = 44) students completed a number of tests about emotional intelligence (TMMS-21), general vocabulary (BAIRES-A), and emotional vocabulary respectively. The predictive effect of emotional vocabulary differed across different factors of emotional intelligence (positive in attention to feelings and negative in emotion repair), while a positive association was found in psychology students with more years completed at university. Psychology students had higher emotional vocabulary than Design students. Emotional vocabulary had limited influence on emotional intelligence, contrary to the theory of Constructed Emotion.
