The Role of Social Cognitive Flexibility in Effective Teaching

Abstract

In response to teachers' uncertainty and helplessness facing some types of cross-domain educational situations (CDESs), such as aggressive or impolite behavior, lack of interest, slow understanding, or drop in performance, the social cognitive flexibility (SCF) approach proposes an alternative way of considering teaching which focus not on the pupil as a problem but on the problematic nature of the situation. In this chapter, the two-phase SCF competence is theorized and illustrated by applied research and analyzed in close relation with teachers' perception of zone of action, theirs inclusive behaviors and epistemic inclusion in order to provide teachers with effective, tested, and concrete tools. SCF procedures are easy to implement, follow and routinize in the daily practice and they allow teachers master the cross-domain problems, foresee them, and even transform them into learning sequences. A training SCF program for future teachers is presented as well as some avenues for research.