Page 134 - Vseživljenjsko učenje kot temelj trajnostne družbe

Vita Jeraj and Petra Dolenc

tions. Individuals with high levels of self-control demonstrate a greater abil-
ity to regulate external pressures and maintain composure under stress. It
appears that more experienced teachers display greater confidence in man-
aging their emotions and handling stress compared to novice teachers, likely
due to their prolonged exposure to diverse classroom demands and refined
coping strategies.
Sociability, on the other hand, refers to interpersonal skills and their im-
pact within various social contexts. Individuals with high sociability tend to
be effective communicators and attentive listeners. It can be assumed that
the emotional and social skills acquired through teachers’ pedagogical expe-
rience, combined with opportunities for professional development, are im-
portant factors that may enhance certain aspects of EI, such as self-control
and sociability.
In examining the relationship between teachers’ SE and their professional
experience, the present findings reveal a positive, though relatively weak,
correlation between years of teaching experience and certain SE dimen-
sions. Specifically, more experienced teachers reported greater confidence
in their ability to effectively motivate students, adapt teaching to meet in-
dividual learner needs, maintain classroom discipline, and collaborate with
colleagues and parents. In contrast, no statistically significant association
was found between teaching experience and SE related to instructional de-
livery or managing educational changes. These results partially corroborate
the findings of Kostić-Bobanović (2020), who found that more experienced
teachers demonstrated higher self-perceptions in classroom management,
while no significant differences emerged in other SE domains.
Furthermore, our results are also consistent with the study conducted by
Wolters and Daugherty (2007), who demonstrated that overall levels of per-
ceived SE tend to increase with teaching experience. However, our results are
not consistent with those reported by Mouton et al. (2013), who found no sig-
nificant relationship between the amount of teaching experience and the SE
beliefs of Belgian PE teachers. These discrepancies may be attributed to con-
textual factors such as differences in educational systems, teacher training
programmes, subject areas, or the specific measures of SE employed across
studies. Additionally, international comparative research must consider the
influence of diverse cultural and sociocultural contexts, as these factors can
shape both the interpretation of SE and the criteria used to assess teachers’
perceptions of their effectiveness.
The present study also aimed to examine the relationship between EI and
SE among PE teachers. The findings indicate that higher levels of EI dimen-

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