The development and validation of the Multidimensional Assessment of Teacher Social-Emotional Competence (MATSEC) in East Asian school contexts

There is a growing consensus that teachers’ social-emotional competence (T-SEC) is crucial for their own well-being and students’ social and emotional learning (SEL). However, the literature lacks comprehensive, psychometrically sound, and practical measures of T-SEC. Moreover, the existing literature on T-SEC is predominantly grounded in Western countries, leaving this issue largely unexplored elsewhere. This study aims to introduce the Multidimensional Assessment of Teacher Social-Emotional Competence (MATSEC), measuring T-SEC across all five domains of the CASEL framework, with an additional domain focused on social awareness for equity and inclusion. This six-dimensional, self-reported scale was collaboratively developed by a team of East Asian researchers and practitioners through an iterative process of item generation and revisions based on expert reviews, cognitive interviews, and pilot testing. We evaluated various psychometric properties of this scale using data from school teachers in China and Korea ( N = 859). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis suggested a second-order factor structure involving a single overall T-SEC factor indicated by six sub-domain factors: (1) self-awareness, (2) emotion management, (3) social awareness for student well-being, (4) social awareness for equity and inclusion, (5) relationship skills, and (6) responsible decision-making. The overall scale and all subscales showed high internal consistency and concurrent validity, demonstrating significant correlations with teachers’ various well-being outcomes, self-efficacy, and perceived school climate. Measurement invariance testing supported cross-country equivalence of the scale. We hope the MATSEC contributes to the emerging literature on T-SEC in East Asia, with the potential to be tested and applied in diverse educational contexts around the world. Developing psychometrically sound and culturally relevant measures of teacher social-emotional competence (T-SEC) is a prerequisite for advancing knowledge and practice of social and emotional learning (SEL) for teachers, and ultimately for students. This is one of the first studies in the field that introduces a multidimensional scale of T-SEC, rigorously developed and tested primarily within East Asian educational contexts, where SEL has not been part of mainstream education systems. The Multidimensional Assessment of Teacher Social-Emotional Competence (MATSEC), publicly available in multiple languages, can contribute to the internationally growing literature and practice efforts to promote T-SEC for successful school-based SEL.