The Future of Education
Developing emotional self-awareness in a scholastic context : a new perspective for teachers
Sofia Dal Zovo, University of Verona (Italy)
Abstract
The work of teacher is a relational work, (Elias 2009; Cohen 2006; Day 2009) and this relationship between teachers an students (Morganti, 2012; Denham 2012) imply an high level of stress for the teachers that can bring to burnouts if he doesn’t care of himself. This care is known as care for the personal self, (Mortari, 2009 ; Nussbaum 2004, Arendt 2001;) the personal emotional awareness, during a period of formation and reflection. Starting to Emotional Intelligence concept, (Salovey e Mayer, 1990; Goleman 1996),and mindfulness approach ( Siegel, 2009) developing emotional skills (Saarni 1999; Albanese 2006; Darby 2008) is important because if there is a personal well-being of teachers, the children learning will be better ( Greenberg, Kuschè 1993; Greenberg, 2009; Cefai 2014).
Question research: What kind of phenomena can we observe when teachers write a personal reflective diary?
The method that I think to use to analyze the data is IPA Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (Smith, 2009; Sità, 2012) because is a qualitative research ( Langdrige 2004, Creswell 2007) the method is flexible and dynamic , as much as possible pertinent to the phenomena, to reproduce their originality and peculiarity, like phenomenological prospective ( Gallagher 2009). The method is like an horizon that in not a fixed borded but something that walking with us and invites us to further proceed( Gadamer, 1994)
The tool is the life diary of the mind ( Mortari 2007; Richardson 2000). It is an instrument that let the subjectivity of the teacher emerge and allows to seep deeply through the experiences of the teacher ( Fraser, 2004). I have an international sample: Italians’ teachers ( 38) and maltese’ teachers ( 10) thanks a collaboration with CRES ( Centre of Resilience and Social emotional health) in Malta.
Attended results
For my research: to acquire a deeping knowledge about emotional tones of the daily life of teachers; to identify the criticisms in the emotional part of teachers and their strategies that they use to facing it.
For teachers: To learn to recognize, to verbalize, to mention and to manage their emotions; To improve self -skills ( to understand different aspects of own emotional life) and social skills with others.
This research consider a moment to restitution and training with the participants.
