Bringing mindfulness to teacher professional development for social-emotional competence in teaching

Abstract

Teacher stress is an international issue that is crucial for the stability and effectiveness of educational systems worldwide. Consequently, there has been a longstanding interest in the factors that cause occupational stress for teachers and ways to eliminate them. In this regard, the importance of teachers' social-emotional competence, which acts as a protective factor against stressful situations, has been particularly emphasized. This study aimed to explain teachers' socialemotional competence and compile mindfulness-based professional development programs designed to promote it, utilizing a literature review as a research methodology. Accordingly, this study explained the Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education (CARE) professional development program. It also presented an overview and synthesis of representative research studies and provided implications for teacher professional development. It attempted to draw attention to the importance of involving social-emotional competence, which is closely related to teacher and teaching quality, in the development of more effective teacher education programs.