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

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.