Beyond self-regulation
The role of mentalizing in shaping pedagogical competencies among novice special education teachers
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21490718 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Nicola-Hans Schwarzer (0000-0003-4864-2283, Heidelberg University, corresponding author), Ulf Kieschke (Ludwigsburg University of Education), Paula Dees (0009-0000-2747-2321, Heidelberg University), Stephan Gingelmaier (0009-0001-0025-9405), Robert Langnickel (0000-0002-4265-0103, University of Teacher Education Lucerne), Pierre-Carl Link (0000-0003-2018-2684, University of Teacher Education in Special Needs), Holger Kirsch (0009-0009-7915-3432), Tobias Nolte (0000-0002-6834-7727) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 41 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | European Journal of Psychology of Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0256-2928 • E-ISSN: 1878-5174 |
| Publisher | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s10212-026-01071-8 |
| OpenAlex | W7128776132 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 61 |
This exploratory study examined the interplay between self‐regulation, uncertainty in mentalizing, and pedagogical competence in novice special education teachers. Drawing on conceptual frameworks highlighting the importance of adaptive self‐regulation for effective teaching, the study also investigated whether impaired mentalizing independently affects pedagogical performance. A sample of 707 novice teachers in special needs education completed self‐report measures assessing self‐regulation, uncertainty in mentalizing, and pedagogical competence. According to their self-regulatory capacities, participants were assigned to four groups. Multivariate analyses of covariance and univariate tests revealed that special education teachers with adaptive self‐regulatory patterns demonstrated higher pedagogical competence in teaching, educating, and assessing. In contrast, uncertainty in mentalizing was associated with lower overall pedagogical competence, with the most substantial negative effects observed in the domains of assessing and innovating. The findings suggest that both adaptive self‐regulation and effective mentalizing might reflect important determinants of effective pedagogical practice. Practical implications are discussed
Educational psychology · Exploratory research · Interpersonal communication · Mentalization · Special education · Univariate · Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression · Early Childhood Education and Development · Education, Achievement, and Giftedness
Affect Regulation, Mentalization, and the Development of the Self
Talis 2013 Results
Visible Learning
Development and Validation of a Self-Report Measure of Mentalizing
The role of teachers’ emotion regulation in teaching effectiveness
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The Mentalizing Approach to Psychopathology
Epistemic Petrification and the Restoration of Epistemic Trust
Stichwort
Professional competence of teachers
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Investigation of the Factor Structure of the Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ-8)
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Teacher job satisfaction and motivation to leave the teaching profession
Special educators’ mental health and burnout
Does teachers' cognitive self-regulation increase their occupational well-being? The structure and role of self-regulation in the teaching context
The capacity for understanding mental states
Knowledge and Teaching
What makes a good teacher? The relative importance of mathematics teachers' cognitive ability, personality, knowledge, beliefs, and motivation for instructional quality
| Highly cited | No |
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