Unpacking EFL Teachers’ Understandings and Strategies of Self-Awareness Competence in the Classroom

The collaborative for academic, social, and emotional learning (casel) defines self-awareness competence as the ability to assess one's emotions, values, and skills realistically. utilizing this definition as a theoretical framework, this qualitative study aimed to explore efl teachers' perceptions and strategies regarding self-awareness competence in the classroom. to accomplish this goal, 19 efl teachers from iran were recruited through convenience sampling and took part in one semi-structured written interview and four focus group interviews to exchange their perspectives and strategies for developing their self-awareness competence. adopting the routine analytical steps in grounded theory, i.e., open, axial, and selective coding, the study identified three key components for the participants’ self-awareness perceptions: knowing one’s emotions, having a growth mindset, and having a realistic sense of self-perception. the participants also outlined two primary categories of self-reflection strategies - practical and cognitive - to enhance their self-awareness competence. it was found that reflective practices were essential tools for cultivating the self-awareness competence of efl teachers. additionally, the study unveiled that efl teachers' attitudes and strategies toward self-awareness competence were harmonious. ultimately, the findings demonstrated promising prospects for future efl teachers to enhance their personalized reflective strategies.