Examining Social-Emotional Competence and Teaching Readiness among Pre-Service B.Ed Students: A Sequential Explanatory Mixed-Methods Study

Social-emotional competence (SEC) constitutes a foundational pillar of effective pedagogy, yet its systematic relationship with teaching readiness among pre-service B.Ed students remains underexplored in the Indian higher education context. This study investigates the extent to which social-emotional skills, including self-awareness, empathy, emotional regulation, relationship management, and responsible decision-making, predict and explain teaching readiness among student teachers enrolled in B.Ed programmes. Employing a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, the research integrates quantitative survey data from 320 pre-service teachers across four universities with qualitative in-depth interviews from 24 purposively selected participants. Findings indicate a statistically significant positive relationship between social-emotional competence and teaching readiness, with emotional regulation and empathy emerging as the strongest predictors. Qualitative narratives enriched and contextualised these patterns, highlighting mentoring relationships, practicum experiences, and peer interactions as critical developmental mechanisms. The study contributes empirically grounded insights for B.Ed curriculum reform and teacher preparation policies in India.