Enhancing Social and Emotional Learning: Insights from Teacher Students' Reflections in the UAE and Finland

Numerous studies have demonstrated the benefits of social and emotional learning (SEL) for both students and teachers. For students, SEL enhances the learning environment, psychological well-being, and academic performance. For teachers, it fosters a sense of meaningfulness in their work and strengthens relationships with students. However, effective SEL requires guidance, a safe emotional environment, and opportunities for personal reflection. This study explored SEL by analyzing the reflections of eight trainee teachers in the United Arab Emirates and six in Finland, who participated in similar SEL courses independently. Utilizing both data-driven and theory-driven content analysis based on Talvio & Lonka’s (2025) levels of processing, the results indicated that over 60% of student responses were elaborative or insightful, while less than 40% were at the reproduction level. The most prominent SEL category identified was Developing Relationship Skills, whereas Responsible Decision Making was the least represented. Overall, the course significantly enhanced participants' theoretical understanding and SEL development, yielding similar outcomes in both countries. The findings suggest that methods promoting responsible decision-making should be further integrated into teacher training for SEL development.