Emotional Education in Primary Education: Reality or Theoretical Construct?

Although emotional education is theoretically acknowledged as essential for the holistic development of primary school students, its practical implementation in Romanian schools remains limited. This qualitative, exploratory research investigates the extent to which emotional education is applied in primary education compared to official curricular guidelines and theoretical models. Data were collected through focus groups with teachers and parents, revealing that while educators are aware of the importance of emotional development, its integration into classroom practice is inconsistent and often intuitive. Major obstacles include lack of time, insufficient teacher training, and institutional pressure on academic performance. Parents also perceive a lack of systematic emotional support for their children at school. The findings underscore the need for structured emotional education training, collaborative approaches with school counselors, and clearer integration of socio-emotional objectives in educational planning. This study contributes to the understanding of the gap between educational policy and actual practice in Romanian primary schools and provides recommendations for enhancing emotional education as a core component of early learning.