Emotional intelligence as a mediator in enhancing teacher attitudes and coping strategies towards students with learning disabilities: insights from Arab Israeli secondary schools

Teachers' emotional intelligence (EI) is essential in fostering inclusive education, particularly for students with learning disabilities (LD). This study explores the relationship between EI, teachers' attitudes towards students with LD, and their coping strategies among Arab Israeli secondary school teachers. It also investigates whether EI mediates the relationship between attitudes and coping mechanisms and examines the influence of professional training and sociodemographic factors. A sample of 90 teachers, selected through convenience sampling, completed validated questionnaires assessing EI, attitudes, and coping strategies. The results revealed significant positive correlations between EI and both attitudes towards students with LD and coping strategies. Teachers who received professional training scored higher in EI, attitudes, and coping strategies compared to their untrained counterparts. Furthermore, the Sobel test confirmed that EI significantly mediates the relationship between attitudes and coping strategies, highlighting EI's critical role in effective inclusion practices. The findings suggest that professional development programmes focusing on EI can enhance teachers' abilities to create more inclusive educational environments, ultimately improving outcomes for students with LD. This study underscores the importance of integrating EI training into teacher development programmes to promote better educational experiences for students with learning disabilities.