Abstract
This study explored teachers’ use of social-emotional skills (SES) to manage the demands of online teaching in a South African online school. Technological advancements and the growing prevalence of online education has introduced unique social and emotional challenges for online teachers. These developments highlight the importance of understanding how they draw on their SES to manage the demands of online teaching. The study was guided by the Developmentally Integrative Hierarchy of Social-Emotional Skills (DIH-SES) and the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) model, expanded to include techno-pedagogy. It adopted a qualitative, single case study design within an interpretivism paradigm. Data were collected through an online questionnaire completed by 15 teachers and a focus group interview with five middle management participants who also hold online teaching experience. Participants were identified through purposive sampling and invited to participate based on having at least one year of experience in online teaching within the case institution. Data was analysed thematically. Five key themes emerged from the study: (1) Challenges of Online Teaching, (2) Personal SES, (3) Interpersonal SES, (4) SES Support, and (5) Techno-pedagogy. Participants provided insight into organisational demands, including constant changes and the extended requirements associated with online teaching. They also reflected on the use of each social and emotional skills competency within the CASEL model: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making to manage these demands. In addition, the study explored the social-emotional skills challenges that online teachers face, the social-emotional skills supports they receive, and their use of communication technology in online teaching. The findings highlight a need for structured social-emotional skills professional development and enhanced institutional support for online teachers to assist them in managing the demands of online teaching and promoting their well-being. Moreover, the findings indicate the importance of techno-pedagogical training in enabling online teachers to perform their roles effectively within digital learning environments. Finally, future research could extend this work by including larger samples, examining the relationship between online teacher social-emotional skills and specific outcomes such as learner engagement and instructional effectiveness, and investigating the impact of targeted social-emotional skills professional development interventions.