Teachers’ perspectives of, and strategies for, promoting the social and emotional learning of preschoolers: A comparative study of Thailand and the republic of Korea

Abstract

Social and emotional learning has emerged as an important competency in the national curricula of several countries, inducing their schools to shift their focus solely from academic development to include promoting social and emotional learning competencies. This study compared how Thai and Korean pre-service and in-service pre-K teachers perceive social and emotional learning and implement social and emotional learning strategies in classrooms. The sample was 336 Thai and Korean senior early childhood education students and Thai and Korean pre-K teachers; the return rate was 67% (224 people). Data from an e-questionnaire and 12 semi-structured interviews were analyzed. Thai pre-service teachers had a lower mean score compared with other groups (significance level .05). All groups implemented social and emotional learning in daily routines rather than in just direct teaching. Some variables (age, practicum experience, teaching experience, social and emotional learning studies in teacher training degree, special educational needs teaching experience) positively correlated at a low level to teachers’ perspectives of social and emotional learning and strategies for promoting social and emotional learning in young children; the number of preschoolers in the classroom had a low-level negative correlation. Therefore, teacher preparation programs and professional development should train teachers to use a variety of social and emotional learning strategies in the classroom.