Regulación emocional en estudiantes de la carrera de Educación Básica de la Universidad de Cuenca en el periodo septiembre 2025 - febrero 2026

Abstract

Emotional regulation is the ability to identify and manage the intensity, duration, and expression of different emotions. In the educational context, possessing the skill to handle intense emotions contributes to stability when confronted with stress, fosters teacher resilience, supports problem-solving within the classroom, and promotes the creation of bonds with students. In this regard, the objective of the present study was to describe emotional regulation among students in the Basic Education major at the University of Cuenca. To this end, a non-experimental quantitative approach with a descriptive scope and cross-sectional design was employed. The participants consisted of 189 Basic Education students selected through non-probabilistic convenience sampling, of whom 36 were men, and 153 were women. The instrument used was the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale in SpanishShort Form (DERS-S SF), and the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The resultsindicated that the dimension with the minimal degree of difficulty was Impulse Control (M = 6.88, SD = 3.35), and participants from lower academic levels and male students showed lower scores regarding challenges in emotional regulation. Finally, although the majority of students (63%) demonstrate adequate emotional regulation, the remaining 37% exhibit emotional dysregulation, which could negatively impact their professional training. This suggests the need to implement educational programs that strengthen students' capacity for emotional management, as they will assume direct responsibilities with children upon entering the profession.