Emotional Intelligence in Early Childhood Education: Contextual Factors and Socioeducational Strategies. A Narrative Review with a Structured Search, 2023–2026

Abstract

This article analyzes the development of emotional intelligence (EI) and related socio-emotional constructs in early childhood education (ages 3-6) from a multidimensional perspective integrating recent empirical evidence and established theoretical frameworks. A narrative review with a structured search and critical appraisal of evidence was conducted across Web of Science, Scopus, ERIC, and PubMed for the 2023-2026 period. Based on a core corpus comprising 6 scientific documents —two primary empirical studies and four evidence synthesis studies (systematic reviews and meta-analyses)— systematized in Tables 1 and 2 and supplemented by foundational works, the article examines contextual factors, socializing roles of families and teachers, and intervention strategies involving play, role-playing, psychomotor activity, and emotional dialogue. The screening process, complementary search strategies, methodological limitations, and quality assessments using JBI and AMSTAR-2 tools are explicitly described, defining JBI score cutoffs as operational review decisions and formally justifying the use of AMSTAR-2 for the included syntheses. Available evidence suggests an integrated approach combining EI as an ability and EI as a trait, discussing implications for teaching practice and teacher training.