From SEL to SPEL: Teachers integrating political emotions in lessons during times of crisis

Abstract

This article explores teachers' experiences and perceptions of emotions in political education during crises. Through analysis of two focus groups and in-depth interviews with 36 politically engaged teachers in Israel during war and recent crisis, we examine how teachers navigate social political emotions in their lessons. Building on these findings, we propose extending Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) to Social-Political Emotions Lessons (SPEL) to better support teachers in addressing classroom emotions, power relations, and event complexity. The research reveals teachers' strategies and challenges in fostering critical thinking while managing political emotions during crisis periods, offering insights for political education practice.