IMPACT OF CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT SKILLS AND TEACHERS' MINDFULNESS PRACTICES ON STUDENTS' SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Abstract

In the current educational landscape, the holistic development of students is not limited to intellectual achievements alone; equal importance is being accorded to their social-emotional aspects. From this perspective, both a teacher's classroom management skills and their mindfulness practices play a decisive role in shaping students' personalities. The primary objective of this research is to examine the comparative impact of teachers' mindfulness practices and classroom management skills on students' social-emotional development (such as self-control, empathy, cooperation, self-confidence, and value awareness).A quantitative comparative research methodology was adopted. A sample of 400 students and 60 teachers at the higher secondary level was selected using a multi-stage sampling method. Data collection involved the use of a Classroom Management Skills Scale, a Mindfulness Practice in Teaching Scale, and a Social-Emotional Development Index. Statistical techniques, including t-tests, ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis, were employed for data analysis.The study's findings revealed that students taught by teachers who integrated mindfulness practices into classroom management demonstrated significantly higher levels of social-emotional development. Conversely, this impact was observed to be comparatively lower in teaching based solely on traditional classroom management methods.This study underscores that teacher effectiveness should not be confined merely to disciplinary management; rather, mindfulness-based strategies should be made an integral part of the teaching process. This approach not only strengthens students' academic achievements but also fosters their social-emotional competencies—skills that are essential for 21st-century living.