Introduction to the MATSEC
The Multidimensional Assessment of Teacher Social-Emotional Competence (MATSEC) is a 27-item self-report scale measuring teachers’ social-emotional competence.
Teachers’ social-emotional competence, as measured in the MATSEC, is defined as a set of cognitive, affective, and behavioral abilities that enable teachers to recognize their strengths and weaknesses as educators; manage their own emotions; understand and support students with a focus on their well-being; create learning environments that promote equity and inclusion; build and maintain good relationships with others; and make responsible decisions that benefit students and the entire school community."
1. The MATSEC is Comprehensive
Grounded on the CASEL framework, the MATSEC assesses six dimensions of teacher social-emotional competence—(1) self-awareness as an educator, (2) emotion management, (3) social awareness for student well-being, (4) social awareness for equity and inclusion, (5) relationship skills, and (6) responsible decision-making, altogether measuring teachers’ overall level of social-emotional competence. One of the unique features of the MATSEC is that it explicitly measures teachers’ competencies related to promoting equitable and inclusive learning environments.
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Adults and Students can both benefit from SEL. Our research extends beyond SEL just for children and adolescents. We are particularly interested in SEL for school teachers because their social-emotional competence can directly shape the conditions for students to learn and thrive. We also believe that SEL has the potential to benefit other helping professionals and care providers, supporting both their own well-being and their ability to create positive environments for young people.
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In Asia and beyond+, there is a growing interest in and demand for school-based SEL to prevent various youth mental and behavioral health problems, to promote youth well-being and well-rounded development, and to create a more positive school climate. Our research endeavors to advance the emerging SEL literature in Asia and enrich global scholarship through cross-cultural research.
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4. The MATSEC is Practical
The MATSEC is designed to serve as a practical tool to be used in routine practice and research settings. It is relatively brief and easy to administer. It does not assume any particular forms or levels of SEL practices in place. The strengths-focused wording of its items has high acceptability by teachers and education leaders. Using the MATSEC, one can obtain valuable data to inform, guide, and evaluate various forms of support and interventions for teachers.
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Strengths of the MATSEC
Our lab name stands for Social-Emotional Learning for Adults and Students In Asia and beyond+.
Strengths of the MATSEC
1. The MATSEC is Comprehensive
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Grounded on the CASEL framework, the MATSEC assesses six dimensions of teacher social-emotional competence—(1) self-awareness as an educator, (2) emotion management, (3) social awareness for student well-being, (4) social awareness for equity and inclusion, (5) relationship skills, and (6) responsible decision-making, altogether measuring teachers’ overall level of social-emotional competence. One of the unique features of the MATSEC is that it explicitly measures teachers’ competencies related to promoting equitable and inclusive learning environments.
2. The MATSEC is rigorously developed and validated
The MATSEC was developed through a multi-stage scale development and validation process. We developed the MATSEC based on literature reviews, cognitive interviews with teachers on the ground, feedback from field experts, and pilot-testing results. Our rigorous psychometric analysis supported statistical validity and reliability of the MATSEC as a six-dimensional measurement instrument, with evidence supporting cross-country measurement invariance. The MATSEC total and subscale scores showed significant correlations with various outcomes.
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3. The MATSEC is culturally relevant to the East Asian contexts, with the potential for wider applicability
The MATSEC was developed and validated primarily within the East Asian educational contexts, with the aim to contribute to the emerging field of social and emotional learning (SEL) in this area. However, we believe that the MATSEC also has the potential to be applicable in other parts of the world, with appropriate adaptations and further validation. Currently, the MATSEC is available in English, Korean, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese. We welcome anyone interested to carry out a translation in a new language and use it in their own context.
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4. The MATSEC is practical to use
The MATSEC is designed to serve as a practical tool to be used in routine practice and research settings. It is relatively brief and easy to administer. It does not assume any particular forms or levels of SEL practices in place. The strengths-focused wording of its items has high acceptability by teachers and education leaders. Using the MATSEC, one can obtain valuable data to inform, guide, and evaluate various forms of support and interventions for teachers.
Service Name
Strengths of the MATSEC
Our lab name stands for Social-Emotional Learning for Adults and Students In Asia and beyond+.
For more detailed information about scale development and validation processes and results, please check our publication:
Lee, J., Fu, L., Hu, H., Wang, C., Chung, E., Choi, S.-n., Choi, C., Lee, S., Lui, I. D., & Yoo, M. S. (2025). The development and validation of the Multidimensional Assessment of Teacher Social-Emotional Competence (MATSEC) in East Asian school contexts. Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy, 5, 100093.
Introduction to the MATSEC
The Multidimensional Assessment of Teacher Social-Emotional Competence (MATSEC) is a 27-item self-report scale measuring teachers’ social-emotional competence.
Introduction to the MATSEC
"Teachers’ social-emotional competence is defined as “a set of cognitive, affective, and behavioral abilities that enable teachers to recognize their strengths and weaknesses as educators; manage their own emotions; understand and support students with a focus on their well-being; create learning environments that promote equity and inclusion; build and maintain good relationships with others; and make responsible decisions that benefit students and the entire school community.” (Lee et al., 2025)
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What is the Educator SEL Program?
Translations of the MATSEC
Apart from the English, Korean, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese versions by the original research team, we are grateful to other researchers who have taken the time to adapt the MATSEC to their own languages and contexts and shared their translations with us below. We are not able to provide any assurances about the adequacy or validity of the translations, as we are not necessarily familiar with each language or dialect. Please address any translation-related enquiries to the person or group who carried out the translation.
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Vietnamese
Don’t see the language you need? Please consider submitting a MATSEC request form below to make a translation!
What is the Educator SEL Program?
Using the MATSEC
The MATSEC is freely available to anyone interested in using it for non-commercial purposes such as research and practice. This means that the users of the MATSEC can create their own translations and make any necessary adaptations or refinements to the original MATSEC as required for their non-commercial activities. However, the commercial use of the MATSEC is strictly prohibited.
For those who wish to translate the MATSEC, we kindly ask that you share your translation with us at selasia.info@gmail.com. Upon reviewing basic information (e.g., translation and validation procedures), we would like to share your work with other users with appropriate acknowledgements for your contribution, including contact details for the lead translator(s) and references to papers describing the translation and validation process. If we receive multiple translations in the same language, we may distribute all of them so that users can choose one that meets their needs the best.
We request the users to cite our original work (Lee et al., 2025) whenever they utilize the MATSEC or any derivative versions in their publications or other deliverables.
If you would like to use the MATSEC for non-commercial purposes, please leave your contact information below. Once you submit the form, you will be granted access to the measure repository page, where you can download the MATSEC in any of our available languages.
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2. The MATSEC is rigorously developed and validated.
The MATSEC was developed through a multi-stage scale development and validation process. We developed the MATSEC based on literature reviews, cognitive interviews with teachers on the ground, feedback from field experts, and pilot-testing results. Our rigorous psychometric analysis supported statistical validity and reliability of the MATSEC as a six-dimensional measurement instrument, with evidence supporting cross-country measurement invariance. The MATSEC total and subscale scores showed significant correlations with various outcomes.
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3. The MATSEC is culturally relevant to the East Asian contexts, with the potential for wider applicability.
The MATSEC was developed through a multi-stage scale development and validation process. We developed the MATSEC based on literature reviews, cognitive interviews with teachers on the ground, feedback from field experts, and pilot-testing results. Our rigorous psychometric analysis supported statistical validity and reliability of the MATSEC as a six-dimensional measurement instrument, with evidence supporting cross-country measurement invariance. The MATSEC total and subscale scores showed significant correlations with various outcomes.
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2. The MATSEC is rigorously developed and validated.
The MATSEC was developed through a multi-stage scale development and validation process. We developed the MATSEC based on literature reviews, cognitive interviews with teachers on the ground, feedback from field experts, and pilot-testing results. Our rigorous psychometric analysis supported statistical validity and reliability of the MATSEC as a six-dimensional measurement instrument, with evidence supporting cross-country measurement invariance. The MATSEC total and subscale scores showed significant correlations with various outcomes.
1. The MATSEC is comprehensive
Grounded on the CASEL framework, the MATSEC assesses six dimensions of teacher social-emotional competence—(1) self-awareness as an educator, (2) emotion management, (3) social awareness for student well-being, (4) social awareness for equity and inclusion, (5) relationship skills, and (6) responsible decision-making, altogether measuring teachers’ overall level of social-emotional competence. One of the unique features of the MATSEC is that it explicitly measures teachers’ competencies related to promoting equitable and inclusive learning environments.
1. The MATSEC is comprehensive
Grounded on the CASEL framework, the MATSEC assesses six dimensions of teacher social-emotional competence—(1) self-awareness as an educator, (2) emotion management, (3) social awareness for student well-being, (4) social awareness for equity and inclusion, (5) relationship skills, and (6) responsible decision-making, altogether measuring teachers’ overall level of social-emotional competence. One of the unique features of the MATSEC is that it explicitly measures teachers’ competencies related to promoting equitable and inclusive learning environments.
1. The MATSEC is comprehensive
Grounded on the CASEL framework, the MATSEC assesses six dimensions of teacher social-emotional competence—(1) self-awareness as an educator, (2) emotion management, (3) social awareness for student well-being, (4) social awareness for equity and inclusion, (5) relationship skills, and (6) responsible decision-making, altogether measuring teachers’ overall level of social-emotional competence. One of the unique features of the MATSEC is that it explicitly measures teachers’ competencies related to promoting equitable and inclusive learning environments.
3. The MATSEC is culturally relevant to the East Asian contexts, with the potential for wider applicability.
The MATSEC was developed and validated primarily within the East Asian educational contexts, with the aim to contribute to the emerging field of social and emotional learning (SEL) in this area. However, we believe that the MATSEC also has the potential to be applicable in other parts of the world, with appropriate adaptations and further validation. Currently, the MATSEC is available in English, Korean, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese. We welcome anyone interested to carry out a translation in a new language and use it in their own context.
2. The MATSEC is rigorously developed and validated.
The MATSEC was developed through a multi-stage scale development and validation process. We developed the MATSEC based on literature reviews, cognitive interviews with teachers on the ground, feedback from field experts, and pilot-testing results. Our rigorous psychometric analysis supported statistical validity and reliability of the MATSEC as a six-dimensional measurement instrument, with evidence supporting cross-country measurement invariance. The MATSEC total and subscale scores showed significant correlations with various outcomes.
Strengths of the MATSEC
1. The MATSEC is Comprehensive
Grounded on the CASEL framework, the MATSEC assesses six dimensions of teacher social-emotional competence—(1) self-awareness as an educator, (2) emotion management, (3) social awareness for student well-being, (4) social awareness for equity and inclusion, (5) relationship skills, and (6) responsible decision-making, altogether measuring teachers’ overall level of social-emotional competence. One of the unique features of the MATSEC is that it explicitly measures teachers’ competencies related to promoting equitable and inclusive learning environments.
Service Name
1. The MATSEC is Comprehensive
Grounded on the CASEL framework, the MATSEC assesses six dimensions of teacher social-emotional competence—(1) self-awareness as an educator, (2) emotion management, (3) social awareness for student well-being, (4) social awareness for equity and inclusion, (5) relationship skills, and (6) responsible decision-making, altogether measuring teachers’ overall level of social-emotional competence. One of the unique features of the MATSEC is that it explicitly measures teachers’ competencies related to promoting equitable and inclusive learning environments.
Service Name
1. The MATSEC is Comprehensive
Grounded on the CASEL framework, the MATSEC assesses six dimensions of teacher social-emotional competence—(1) self-awareness as an educator, (2) emotion management, (3) social awareness for student well-being, (4) social awareness for equity and inclusion, (5) relationship skills, and (6) responsible decision-making, altogether measuring teachers’ overall level of social-emotional competence. One of the unique features of the MATSEC is that it explicitly measures teachers’ competencies related to promoting equitable and inclusive learning environments.
Service Name
1. The MATSEC is Comprehensive
Grounded on the CASEL framework, the MATSEC assesses six dimensions of teacher social-emotional competence—(1) self-awareness as an educator, (2) emotion management, (3) social awareness for student well-being, (4) social awareness for equity and inclusion, (5) relationship skills, and (6) responsible decision-making, altogether measuring teachers’ overall level of social-emotional competence. One of the unique features of the MATSEC is that it explicitly measures teachers’ competencies related to promoting equitable and inclusive learning environments.
Service Name
For more detailed information about scale development and validation processes and results, please check our publication:
Lee, J., Fu, L., Hu, H., Wang, C., Chung, E., Choi, S.-n., Choi, C., Lee, S., Lui, I. D., & Yoo, M. S. (2025). The development and validation of the Multidimensional Assessment of Teacher Social-Emotional Competence (MATSEC) in East Asian school contexts. Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy, 5, 100093. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sel.2025.100093
Service Name
Strengths of the MATSEC
Our lab name stands for Social-Emotional Learning for Adults and Students In Asia and beyond+.
Introduction to the MATSEC
1. The MATSEC is comprehensive
Grounded on the CASEL framework, the MATSEC assesses six dimensions of teacher social-emotional competence—(1) self-awareness as an educator, (2) emotion management, (3) social awareness for student well-being, (4) social awareness for equity and inclusion, (5) relationship skills, and (6) responsible decision-making, altogether measuring teachers’ overall level of social-emotional competence. One of the unique features of the MATSEC is that it explicitly measures teachers’ competencies related to promoting equitable and inclusive learning environments.