An analysis of primary school teachers? awareness of emotional safety as a learning prerequisite (A case study in Gaziantep, Nizip district)

This study was carried out in Gaziantep, Nizip district during 2009-2010 academic year to analyze the primary school teachers? awareness of ?emotional safety? as a learning prerequisite. Descriptive method was followed throughout the study. The sample of the study consisted of 5 randomly chosen primary schools and 102 teachers working at these schools. The data analyzed were gathered by a specially developed questionnaire by the researcher to assess the subjects? emotional competency. The questionnaire consisted of 40 clauses and each would be scored based on 5-scale and it also consisted of five sub-dimensions as: teachers? ability to understand their students? emotional states; convenience on communication; considering students? individual differences; pleasure at job and capabilities of self-management. One-way and t-test statistical tools were used for the analysis of independent variables. According to the research results, Primary Teachers? Awareness of Emotional Safety as a Learning Prerequisite was found to be at a very high level with a degree of 4,27. It was also found that there were no significant differences between the teachers? gender and their capability of understanding students? emotional states as well as considering the students? individual differences. Similarly, no significant difference was observed between the teachers? emotional competency and their educational background. This research can be considered as an explaratory study pointing out to the importance of emotional safety in learning environments and teachers? emotional competency especially when dealing with their students in the classrooms.