Emotional management in the classroom: Socio-emotional competencies of teachers in basic education

Abstract

The beginning of this decade was affected by the pandemic, which caused abrupt changes in basic education, particularly affecting teachers’ performance. This research explores the socio-emotional impacts experienced by basic education teachers in Tamaulipas, Mexico, during the lockdown, focusing on the conversion of homes into educational spaces and the intensification of caregiving tasks. Using a triangulated mixed-method approach, a questionnaire was administered to 814 teachers and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 9 teachers from different levels and regions, complemented by feminist social mapping. The results reveal that teachers faced an overload of responsibilities when simultaneously managing virtual education, the reorganization of domestic space, and family caregiving tasks, with differences depending on educational level, but not depending on whether they were rural or urban. The reinforcement of traditional gender roles and situations of emotional tension were also evident. It is concluded that the pandemic made visible and exacerbated pre-existing structural inequalities, especially in the distribution of caregiving and domestic responsibilities.