Conceptualising Bedouin teachers’ social-emotional learning in the context of teaching children with neurodevelopmental disorders

Social-emotional learning (SEL) has received growing attention in recent decades. Although much is known about the benefits of integrating SEL in educational settings, knowledge about teachers’ SEL learning is limited, particularly among special-education teachers from diverse backgrounds. The study’s goals were: (1) to conceptualise the SEL learning of 30 in-service and preservice special-education teachers from the Bedouin community, where emotional restraint is the social norm; (2) to compare the learning patterns of teachers in different career stages. An exploratory case study was employed in a special-education school. Data collected from 20 interviews, 147 reflections and two focus groups were analysed using mixed methods (content analysis, exploratory analysis, and quantitative analysis). The findings revealed a three-phase model denoting teachers’ SEL learning–intrapersonal, interpersonal, and professional. Career stage-based differences were found. The study enhances our theoretical understanding of teachers’ SEL learning, which ultimately may promote best SEL practice in special education.