Socio-emotional skills of university teachers and their impact on meaningful learning

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the impact of university professors' socio-emotional competencies on students' meaningful learning. It was conducted using a quantitative approach, with a correlational-explanatory scope and a non-experimental, cross-sectional design. The sample consisted of 80 university students, who completed a structured questionnaire with a Likert-type scale. The instrument's reliability was adequate, with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.93. The results showed that both professors' socio-emotional competencies and meaningful learning were at high levels. Furthermore, a positive and significant relationship was found between the two variables (r = 0.781; p < 0.001), indicating that higher levels of socio-emotional competencies are associated with higher levels of meaningful learning among students. The dimensional analysis showed that empathy and social skills are the factors most strongly associated with learning. Furthermore, the linear regression analysis revealed that socio-emotional competencies explain 61.0% of the variability in meaningful learning, confirming their impact on the educational process. These results demonstrate that the emotional dimension of the teacher plays a fundamental role in knowledge construction. It is concluded that the socio-emotional competencies of university professors significantly influence meaningful learning, and therefore their incorporation into teacher training programs is recommended to strengthen the quality of higher education.