Abstract:

This paper aims to present a theoretical framework of teachers' social, emotional, and intercultural competencies (SEI) in promoting inclusive education for diverse students in contemporary classrooms. Teachers have a unique role to play in promoting equity and inclusion in education for all, especially with regard to including those who may be at risk for social exclusion due to their special education needs, giftedness, migration status, ethnicity, and socio-economic or linguistic background. Additionally, globalization calls for the development of intercultural competencies given that individuals with different societal backgrounds meet and collaborate in their daily lives, and also in schools. Teachers require SEI competencies to foster equality, mutual understanding, and respect in inclusive classrooms. Teachers' ability to start and "deploy relevant values, attitudes, skills, knowledge and/or understanding to respond appropriately and effectively to the demands, challenges, and opportunities that arise in a given context” refers to intercultural competencies, while teachers’ self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making to SE competencies. A teachers’ SEI conceptual framework relies on the CASEL framework of intertwined social-emotional learning and intercultural competencies that are becoming increasingly important in today’s diverse schools. These competencies are crucial in responding to and navigating diversity that contribute to the development of inclusive and intercultural values, and respect for each student and their unique traits, abilities, and background. Teacher’s ability to meet all diverse student with respect and tact, in a sensitive, open, and responsive way enable them to understand the students' expressed (not assumed) needs. Teachers’ attentiveness regarding receptiveness and listening gives them the ability to perceive the unique perspective of student experience at a deeper level. At the same time, SEI competencies include the teacher’s sensitivity to themselves and their own emotional life, as well as the ability to be "touched" by the reactions and states of diverse students in the classroom. While teaching is an emotional, social, and relational practice that should address the students’ expressed needs, teachers’ SEI competencies are the baseline for developing students’ SEI competencies.

Taking into consideration the aforementioned competencies, teachers should
1) provide a safe and stimulating environment for each student,
2) build an inclusive classroom climate in which all students feel welcomed,
3) build relationships with students and between students so that they can engage with others,
4) teach each student to respect diversity and become the kind of citizens who promote equity and inclusiveness, and
5) promote multicultural values in order to appropriately respond to the increasingly diverse student population and their individual educational needs.

Teacher professional development that starts with quality preparation in developing SEI competencies during preservice training and in-service training shaped to teacher educational needs is crucial in preparing teachers to be and act as quality teachers that are models for their students in responding to diversity by building equality and inclusion.

Keywords:

Teacher, values, diversity, intercultural, inclusion, SEI, competencies.