Emotional schemas in relation to educators’ social and emotional competencies to promote student SEL

Abstract

A rapidly growing body of research is examining the social and emotional competencies (SEC) educators need to effectively fulfill their professional roles (see Lozano-Peña et al., 2021 for a recent review). The prosocial classroom model highlights the importance of educators' SECs as they relate to their capacity to maintain well-being by successfully coping with the challenges of emotion-laden social interactions in the classroom, building positive relationships with students, managing classrooms effectively, and providing proficient social-emotional learning (SEL) instruction (see Figure 1; Jennings & Greenberg, 2009). These elements foster a classroom environment that supports social-emotional growth and optimal student learning outcomes. Since the publication of the Jennings and Greenberg (2009) article, research has been expanding to identify specific SECs and how they relate to educators' well-being and job performance. In this paper, we situate the construct of emotional schemas as one construct related to educators’ SEC and relevant to understanding classrooms as developmental contexts for educators and students.