A MIXED-METHODS ANALYSIS OF EFL TEACHERS’ ATTITUDES TOWARD SOCIO-EMOTIONAL LEARNING AND WELL-BEING: INSIGHTS FROM POLAND AND UKRAINE

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20535/2410-8286.309139

Keywords:

social-emotional learning (SEL), teacher well-being, EFL (English as a Foreign Language), English language teaching (ELT), teacher attitudes, Poland, Ukraine

Abstract

This mixed-methods study explores EFL teachers’ attitudes toward social-emotional learning (SEL) and well-being in Poland and Ukraine, focusing on how socio-demographic factors and professional contexts influence these perspectives. Findings reveal that younger Polish teachers, generally more open to adopting innovative SEL strategies, demonstrated higher engagement in SEL practices, while older, more experienced Ukrainian teachers exhibited a robust commitment to well-being but faced greater challenges in implementing SEL due to socio-political pressures. Age and institutional environment were significant factors in shaping teachers’ SEL engagement, emphasizing the need for professional development programs tailored to these demographic and contextual differences. The study also found that Polish teachers more frequently used well-being apps, while Ukrainian teachers, facing the stresses of teaching in a conflict zone, showed a more cautious approach to managing their workload and self-care. These insights highlight the necessity of contextualized SEL and well-being teacher training and strategies that account for the distinct educational and socio-political landscapes in each country, contributing to ongoing discussions about enhancing teacher well-being and SEL engagement in diverse contexts.

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Author Biographies

Luis Javier Pentón Herrera, Akademia Ekonomiczno-Humanistyczna w Warszawie

Dr. Luis Javier Pentón Herrera is a literacy and language educator. His research interests and academic work focus on Multilingual Education, Spanish, ESOL/ESL/EFL, Refugee Education, Identity, Well-being, and Social-Emotional Learning (SEL). Luis Javier Pentón Herrera, Ph.D. is Full Professor at Akademia Ekonomiczno-Humanistyczna w Warszawie, Poland, the Coordinator of the Graduate TESOL Certificate at The George Washington University, United States, and Co-Editor of Tapestry: A Multimedia Journal for Teachers and English Learners. In addition, he is a Fulbright Specialist and an English Language Specialist with the U.S. Department of State. Previously, he served as the 38th President of Maryland TESOL from 2018 to 2019, and earned the rank of Sergeant while serving in the United States Marine Corps (USMC). Two of his professional accolades include the ‘30 Up and Coming Emerging Leaders in TESOL’, awarded by TESOL International Association in 2016, and the J. Estill Alexander Future Leader in Literacy Award, awarded by the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers (ALER) in 2018 when his dissertation was chosen as ALER’s 2018 Outstanding Dissertation of the Year. Dr. Pentón Herrera’s current teaching and research projects are situated at the intersection of identity, emotions, and well-being in language and literacy education, social-emotional learning (SEL), autoethnography and storytelling, refugee education, and language weaponization. His books can be found in Routledge, Springer, Brill/Sense, De Gruyter, TESOL Press, Bucharest University Press, and Rowman & Littlefield. 

Oksana Chugai, NTUU "Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic University"

Department of English for Engineering №2

Associate Professor

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Published

2024-12-30

How to Cite

Pentón Herrera, L. J. ., & Chugai, O. (2024). A MIXED-METHODS ANALYSIS OF EFL TEACHERS’ ATTITUDES TOWARD SOCIO-EMOTIONAL LEARNING AND WELL-BEING: INSIGHTS FROM POLAND AND UKRAINE. Advanced Education, 12(25), 56–78. https://doi.org/10.20535/2410-8286.309139

Issue

2024: Issue 25

Section

ARTICLES

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Copyright (c) 2024 Oksana Chugai, Mr Pentón Herrera. The cover for this article was generated with the assistance of ChatGPT.

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