The Group as a Transformative Resource in Attention to Diversity: A Longitudinal Analysis of Socio- Emotional Competencies

Abstract Book of the 9th International Academic Conference on Education, Teaching and Learning

Year: 2026

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The Group as a Transformative Resource in Attention to Diversity: A Longitudinal Analysis of Socio- Emotional Competencies

Irene Garcia-Martín, Sonia Valero-Tapia, Montserrat Aiger-Vallés, Santos Orejudo-Hernández

ABSTRACT:

This study analyzes the role of the group as a transformative resource in contexts of attention to diversity, based on a music education project implemented in Primary Education, focused on the creation and performance of a musical theatre production. The sample consisted of 68 students, including pupils with special educational needs and profiles presenting significant communicative and socio-emotional difficulties. Over the course of 18 sessions organized into five temporal blocks (corresponding to the process of creation, learning, and rehearsal of the production) 13 socio-emotional competencies were assessed using a structured observation protocol. The results reveal differentiated developmental trajectories. At a global level, the group showed progressive improvement from Block I to Block V (mean increase of approximately +1.8 points on a 1-7 scale). Among students with greater needs, a decrease was observed in Block II, coinciding with a phase of heightened group tension (-1.1 points), followed by gradual recovery in subsequent blocks. Some profiles remained longitudinally stable (Δ < 0,5), whereas others achieved increases of more than +2 points in competencies related to cooperation, selfregulation, and social initiative. These findings suggest that artistic projects developed through structured collaborative dynamics can transform the group into a genuine mediating agent of
change, fostering socio-emotional development, active participation, and the meaningful inclusion of students with special educational needs in inclusive educational contexts.

Keywords: Attention To Diversity; Group Intervention; Inclusive Education; Musical Theatre; Socio-Emotional Competencies