Autorregulación emocional y comportamientos prosociales en futuras docentes de educación infantil

Introduction: Teacher education currently faces significant challenges, particularly regarding preparing future educators to address complex situations within the educational context. Objective: To explore the relationship between emotional self-regulation and prosocial behaviors in future early childhood education teachers, considering these competencies as key elements in their university education. Method: A cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted with the participation of students at a faculty of education in a public university. Participants completed self-report questionnaires on emotional self-regulation and prosocial behaviors. Results: A total of 127 students participated (M=24.56, SD=4.16, 100% female). It was found that the cognitive reappraisal strategy was positively associated with general prosocial behavior (r=0,28, p<0,01) and significantly predicted empathizing (β=0,31, p<0,01), helping (β=0,31, p<0,01), sharing (β=0,19, p<0,05), and caring (β=0,19, p<0,05). In contrast, emotional suppression was negatively related to sharing(β=-0,20, p<0,05) and caring(β=-0,21, p<0,05). Conclusions: Cognitive reappraisal supports the development of key prosocial behaviors among pre-service teachers, whereas emotional suppression may hinder their expression. Strengthening these competencies is crucial for enhancing emotional management and the quality of interactions in educational settings.