EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE OF PRE-SERVICE STEM TEACHERS AS A CONDITION FOR INCLUSIVE INTERACTION IN A DIGITALLY UNSTABLE EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

The chapter substantiates the significance of pre-service STEM teachers’ emotional intelligence as a condition for inclusive pedagogical interaction in a digitally unstable educational environment. The problem is relevant because contemporary professional training of teachers of science, mathematics, and technology-related disciplines requires integrating subject-specific, methodological, digital, inclusive, and emotionally communicative readiness. In a digital environment, pedagogical interaction is complicated by technical failures, unstable connectivity, loss of video or audio channels, and platform delays, which are especially noticeable for learners with special educational needs. The purpose of the study was to theoretically substantiate the role of pre-service STEM teachers’ emotional intelligence in organizing inclusive interaction and to analyze the results of a pilot evaluation of the training program “Emotional Intelligence for Inclusive STEM.” The research methodology combined analysis of scholarly sources, a pilot “pre-test - formative intervention - post-test” design, the test “Recognition of Emotions in a Digital Environment,” and a scenario-based case that modeled the sudden loss of video connection during interaction with a learner with a hearing impairment. The study involved 36 pre-service teachers of physics, mathematics, and computer science. The results showed a statistically significant increase in the ability to recognize emotions in a digital environment, with the mean score rising from 65.08% to 74.11%. Even more pronounced positive dynamics were identified in the scenario-based case: the mean expert evaluation score increased from 5.47 to 10.67 points. The obtained data indicate that training, case-based, and reflective tasks may contribute to the development of emotional perception, empathy, self-regulation, and inclusive communicative flexibility among pre-service STEM teachers. Prospects for further research include expanding the sample, including a control group, conducting delayed measurement, and developing a broader set of inclusive digital cases.