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Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), the process of developing and utilizing interpersonal skills for everyday life, has become a primary vehicle for structuring students' social and emotional health in the United States and across the world. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of understanding SEL practices, is increasingly at the forefront of many discussions in education today. Since "non-academic factors" like SEL were added to U.S. education law (ESSA, 2015), the state of Florida has also added two mandates concerning SEL (Florida Senate Bill 7026: The Marjorie Stoneman Douglas Act and FS 1003.42;Rule 6A-1.094121: Curriculum mandate for four hours of SEL as part of mental health education). This has led to the adoption of SEL programming in schools. In 2018, Martin County Public Schools adopted the BASE Education learning program, an SEL approach that aimed to help high school students, identified as at-risk after a discipline infraction, to "learn about and apply psycho-social concepts through supportive, therapeutic dialogue" (MCSD Code of Conduct, Chapter V, 2022, p.18). BASE Education is an online program currently being implemented in all high schools within the Martin County School District. In purchasing BASE for implementation into the disciplinary process and SEL supports, the district projected that BASE Education would increase self-awareness and increase responsible decision making, thus decreasing discipline referrals. This study examines two components of the disciplinary experience of MCSD students: (1) The SEL experience of high school students referred to BASE Education intervention programming in the Martin County School District, and (2) How students who have participated in [personalized] BASE Education modules describe the nature of their pathway within the online experience. This study represents the first time that an analysis of the student referral experience data and online SEL intervention experiential pathway program data has been undertaken in Martin County Public Schools. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
The objective of this study was to determine the effect of COVID-19 on youth's social emotional competencies. Specifically, this study examined whether there was a significant difference in social emotional competency proficiency levels of self-management, social awareness, and emotion regulation as measured by the Panorama SEL Survey from October 2019 to October 2021 in fifth through twelfth grade students who attended a large, diverse suburban school district in Illinois. This study showed statistically significant differences in students' proficiency levels, which increased for self-management and decreased for social awareness and emotion regulation. Based on these results, school district leaders should consider investing funds to increase interventions and strategies for students regarding social awareness and emotion regulation. Future research should consider analyzing mindfulness interventions implemented as well as the different demographic subgroups with pre-pandemic and during-pandemic data. An extension study with additional years from the same cohort may also provide meaningful insights to school district leaders. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
This article critically considers the implications of ‘crisis transformationism' for development education's radical agenda of cultivating politically engaged, self-reflexive global citizens who have a deep understanding of power and politics and who are firmly committed to working collectively toward fundamental change.1 Crisis transformationism is a mobilising ideological framework which deploys crisis rhetoric in order to consolidate the corporate takeover of education from a democratically controlled system to one designed and run by private actors in service of the global economy. In this article, we demonstrate how this takeover has accelerated in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. We draw on the 2022 United Nations' Transforming Education Summit (TES) as exemplary of a growing trend in global educational governance whereby the values and interests of global corporations - through the ascendancy of Big Tech philanthropic foundations - increasingly shape educational policy and programming. Our primary purpose is to consider the implications of crisis transformationism for the future of development education's genuinely transformative goal of achieving global and ecological justice. Applying critical discourse analytic techniques, we explore the ways in which the discourse of crisis transformationism is being deployed by influential policy actors to legitimise the expansion of the private sector in the delivery of education and to accelerate depoliticised notions of the ‘global' via a skillification agenda premised on the acquisition of neurologically-inflected social-emotional skills or competencies which seeks to yield a productive (i.e., mentally healthy, resilient and skilled) workforce and a pliable, politically docile citizenry. © 2023, Centre for Global Education. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Schools have become increasingly interested in social-emotional learning (SEL) over the past decade, and that interest has grown due to concern about student well-being resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is confusion around SEL. Christi Bergin, Christina Cipriano, Tia Barnes, Shannon B. Wanless, researchers who have studied and designed SEL for decades, respond to questions frequently asked by educators as they consider an SEL approach for their school. They discuss what SEL is, its benefits, how it aligns with other programs, how to select an SEL program, and where to learn more about SEL programs. © 2023 by Phi Delta Kappa International.
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In this practice-oriented article, the authors aim to provide teachers with tools to identify and respond to students' social-emotional learning (SEL) during COVID-19 and beyond. Related to the principles of whole schooling, this content connects with Principle 1: Creating Learning Spaces for All, Principle 4: Build a Caring Community, and Principle 6: Partner with Families and the Community. In this article, the authors provide an overview of SEL literature and research-based related strategies, then introduce two vignettes, one pre-COVID-19 and one peri-COVID-19 (i.e., during COVID-19), and conclude with a discussion connecting SEL literature and strategies to the data they received from surveying students' SEL needs at their school. The authors hope that by sharing how they surveyed students to identify their SEL needs because of the pandemic, that administrators and teachers can recreate a similar "SEL roadmap" that they used to navigate students' emotional support needs resulting from excessive stress, anxiety, and isolation connected to remote learning and the pandemic at large.
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The author rather than accepting the prevailing narrative that adolescents are becoming socially impaired by technology, explores the ways in which digital natives have utilized and at times advanced beyond their forebears in terms of social intelligence, exploring the convergence of social, racial, gender, and political identity on the internet during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, she considers the experience of the psychotherapist wrestling with personal loss and attunement and repair within the therapeutic relationship. The Social Dilemma, a Netflix film released in 2020, daunts a chilling narrative of the online social sphere. The Social Dilemma depicts how essentially we are puppets of digital creators and being exploited for capital gains. Technology is smart, sometimes too smart. And if we are not learning how to be responsible, mindful, productive consumers of social media and emphasizing the need to cultivate emotional intelligence traits both offline and online through social-emotional learning and digital literacy, we will most certainly find ourselves riddled with technological addictions and other significant mental health impairments inclusive of rising suicide rates among more avid online users. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
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PurposeThis study aims to use culturally responsive pedagogy as a model to examine teachers' views of the equity implications found within virtual instruction.Design/methodology/approachThe researchers used a descriptive methods design based on survey research employing both fixed (quantitative) and open response (qualitative) options to curate teachers' perceptions of their students' abilities to engage in online learning.FindingsTeachers articulated anxiety for student engagement based on access as well as concerns for student engagement and social emotional learning (SEL) connection. Data point to disparate views of students' abilities to engage in remote learning based on demographic markers. Teachers also noted their own limitations in providing engaging online instruction that was culturally responsive and included social emotional learning (SEL) learning.Originality/valueThis study provided a unique opportunity to explore teachers' perceptions of their students in online learning contexts as well as teachers' perceptions of their own abilities to support diverse students in remote learning. Teachers' responses indicated deficit views of their culturally and linguistically diverse students and signaled awareness of their own limitations in providing online instruction that was culturally responsive and student centered. Study findings point to a need to equip teachers with tools to mitigate systemic inequity in online contexts.
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Objective: To determine the relationship between social support and socioemotional competencies in Peruvian university students, Hermilio Valdizán National University, Huánuco-Perú, post-COVID-19 context. Methods: The work had a quantitative approach of correlational type with cross-section 353 male and female students randomly selected from different faculties of the Hermilio Valdizán National University, Huánuco-Perú, 2022 participated and responded to two self-report type scales, one of social, family, and friend support and another of socio-emotional competencies. Correlation analysis was performed using Spearman's Rho non-parametric statistical test. Results: 84.1% of the students presented a medium level of socio-emotional skills;in the same way, 52.1% perceived social support as medium level. The positive correlation between perceived social support and socio-emotional competence was moderate, with p≤0.000, and the dimensions of social support, such as family and friend support, also showed a positive and significant correlation, all with p≤0.000. Conclusions: The social support that young university students have is modestly related to the development of the socio-emotional competence under study. © 2023, Editorial Ciencias Medicas. All rights reserved.
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This qualitative study examined elementary school teachers' transitions from in-person to remote social-emotional learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in a northeastern US public school district. This study addressed the following central research question using Bandura's (1977) self-efficacy theory and CASEL's Framework (2021) for social and emotional learning: What were teachers' lived experiences while teaching social-emotional learning (SEL) during both remote and in-person instruction in elementary school throughout the Covid-19 pandemic? Eight teachers from one suburban elementary school shared their experiences meeting students' social-emotional needs during the pandemic. This study examined teacher perspectives on social-emotional learning in in-person and remote settings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interview questions provided narrative inquiry study answers. According to interviews, teachers implemented social and emotional learning with uncertainty, anxiety, and fear. Teachers believed they could teach social and emotional learning remotely and in person despite the pandemic because of their perseverance, awareness, and social interactions. They did this by relying on their colleagues for support and encouragement, realizing the importance of their work with students, and allowing students to express their emotions and feelings while learning remotely and in person. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
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Background Purpose Method Findings Conclusion There is a recognised need internationally to reduce depression and anxiety among adolescents. As a population particularly sensitive to the amount and quality of social interaction, challenges for young people became magnified during COVID-19, particularly for students from under-represented and marginalised communities across the globe.This paper reports on a study conducted in Washington State, USA, that sought, via an alliance with students, parents, educators and community leaders, to gain insight into students' lived experiences during the pandemic. It aimed to better comprehend how experiences affected social emotional learning and use this understanding to explore ways of reducing students' mental health concerns.We created a diverse consortium, drawn from six schools. It comprised 13 students, predominantly students of colour, across the age range 11–18 years. Also participating were five other stakeholders: parents, educators and community leaders. The consortium's involvement in five online discussion sessions led to the collection of rich data, as participants shared perspectives on pandemic experiences and learning. Additionally, we administered a survey about group collaboration. Data were analysed thematically.The formation of the consortium represented a significant outcome in itself, providing a meaningful way of gaining understanding of the mental health and social emotional concerns of the students, their families and the other collaborators. Another outcome was the opportunity for students and parents to be at the same table and voice concerns about remote learning, sharing views on how changes affected students' learning and mental health.The consortium allowed for all voices to be heard. This research highlights the need for more attention and resources to be directed towards students of colour, not only across schools within the research setting but also elsewhere internationally. The connection of students with educators, parents and community stakeholders, by means of a consortium, can build a foundation through which the mental health needs of students in school may be addressed in future research. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Educational Research is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this mixed methods study was to understand the experiences of sixth-grade teachers in two suburban Philadelphia counties while teaching social and emotional learning (SEL) practices during the 2020-2021 school year amidst the COVID-19 global pandemic. In this study, sixth-grade teachers were surveyed on their use of ten SEL teaching practices. They were asked to compare their pandemic teaching experience to years prior to the pandemic. Follow up interviews provided greater detail on the impact the pandemic had on school climate and teaching SEL practices, and the perceived challenges and triumphs teachers reported.By synthesizing quantitative and qualitative data, the researcher gained a broader understanding of teachers' experiences teaching during a global pandemic and identified factors that affected their perceived abilities to teach SEL practices. All children attending school during the COVID-19 pandemic felt the disruption to their learning environments. School leaders at all levels have an opportunity to learn from and support teachers' experiences. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
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Children's poor social-emotional functioning has been an increasing concern prior to and amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Childhood and adolescence are critical stages of life where they acquire key cognitive and social-emotional skills that shape their future mental health. When a student's social-emotional health suffers, so do their relationships, academics, and physical health. The theory of improvement hypothesized that students' social-emotional health can be improved via fostering trusting relationships, boosting self-esteem, and promoting healthy role models and positive adult-child relationships. To address the problem of practice, the primary investigator implemented a social-emotional learning (SEL)-infused, 8-week physical activity after-school program with a strong mentor/role model component. The following inquiry questions guided this dissertation in practice project: 1) How does students' social-emotional health change after participating the after-school social-emotional learning-infused physical activity program? And 2) What are faculty, staff, and parent perceptions of the impact of a social-emotional learninginfused physical activity program on third grade students? Measures included time sample observations during the program of n=7 at-risk students with behavioral or emotional challenges, field notes compiled by the primary investigator throughout the program, and focus groups with key stakeholders (i.e., n=8 teachers, n=8 parents, and n=12 mentors) conducted post-program. The patterns in changes of student behavior over time were reported as case-study narratives for each observed student. Focus group transcripts and field notes were coded using content analysis v method and analyzed for key categories and themes. Overall, students' time sample data showed positive improvements in social-emotional health as well as on-task behavior. Three themes were identified in the qualitative data, including: 1) Growing and thriving together: benefits of the afterschool program 2) Trial and error: reflecting on what went well and didn't go well in the program and 3) Onward and upward: Fine tuning the program for the future. This program demonstrated initial success for improvements in 3rd grade children's social-emotional health. Implications for practice include improved training for all stakeholders in social-emotional learning, inclusion of mentorship, and additional administrative buy-in, including logistical support and funding. Future research can investigate the effect on mentor and student overall mental health and academic achievement. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
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College students' positive mental health is integral to academic success, the college experience, overall health, and success after graduation. The emerging adulthood developmental period is marked by identity exploration and transitional stress, creating a peak time for the onset of mental health disorders. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the mental health symptoms of this already vulnerable population. Further, higher education counseling centers are overwhelmed by their student populations' heightened mental health needs. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted New Jersey community college counseling centers' response to this mental health crisis has not yet been fully explored. This qualitative case study examined staff responses from four community college counseling centers in New Jersey to promote students' mental health through the lens of the Institute of Medicine's prevention framework, the social emotional learning framework, and a conceptual framework grounded in resilience theory. Findings from this study demonstrated the swift departmental adaptations activated to pivot services and create innovative programs to promote students' wellness. Findings also affirmed the absence of an overarching framework to guide mental health programs at the community college level and highlighted low funding, understaffing, and staff burnout as barriers to establishing universal mental health promotion practices. This study's implications for policy reform and practice suggest that embedding universal mental health promotion practices into higher education settings can reduce barriers to wellness supports and equip students with skills to mitigate adverse mental health outcomes, promoting their overall wellness and success. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
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The purpose of this PLC-informed qualitative interview case study was to explore middle school teacher methods for cultivating student autonomy and the rationale behind their instructional choices. Here, student autonomy was defined as learners taking ownership of their academic performance and scholastic responsibilities (Holec, 1981). The unforeseen emergence of COVID-19 impacted the format of this study and provided a rare opportunity for a six-week, nine-member professional learning community (PLC) focusing on the topic of student autonomy. A survey questionnaire, PLC transcripts, and 30-minute semi-structured qualitative exit interviews underwent thematic coding analysis to place teacher responses in the context of predominant voices found in academia today. Themes are examined from a leadership perspective, through the social justice lens of critical pedagogy (Freire, 1970;Giroux, 2011;McLaren, 2015). This study evolved to capture the teachers' lived experiences during the pandemic in order to gain their perspectives on how autonomy shifted along with the traditional means of instruction during this time of seismic change. Discussed are themes of performativity, teacher authenticity, social and emotional learning (SEL), PLCs as professional development (PD), motivation, constructivism, adaptive expertise, and metacognition, along with several others, nesting teachers' practical experience in the rich context of pedagogical theory, specifically when navigating new roles in remote and hybrid instruction. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
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The integration of Social Emotional Learning into the secondary curriculum is recognized globally as an important set of skills to have, especially since the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of combining these skills within a virtual reality program is to engage and enhance the experience the students have learning the new skills. This qualitative exploratory case study was established to determine if the WISE SEL VR program could be easily incorporated into the secondary curriculum in an urban high school. In addition, the secondary purpose was to establish the ease of which virtual reality gave to the instruction of social emotional skills. The findings of the study show that the participants and administrators at an urban high school understand the importance of teaching social emotional learning skills. They also acknowledge that the use of virtual reality enhanced the learning experience for their students. Students were engaged and excited to use the new technology to learn. However, the majority of the participants failed to make the connection between teaching the WISE SEL VR program in their specific content area. The majority of the participants believe the program itself is exceptional but should be a stand-alone course offered as an elective. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
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This chapter will explore the impact virtual learning had on students and their social and emotional development as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors' guiding question(s) for this chapter will be: How has social and emotional growth been considered as part of the missing piece to virtual learning? How are social and emotional learning opportunities addressed to achieve maximum student success and development as future leaders in a global society? What lessons have been learned during the pandemic regarding virtual teaching that can help develop more robust curriculum/learning choices for supporting students' social and emotional well-being? Using research on digital learning and student and teacher interviews, the authors will gather data to report on the positives and opportunities for growth from the impact of the pandemic and virtual learning. The authors discuss implications of this work. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
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This mixed methodology phenomenological case study, which included an explanatory sequential research design, explored the behaviors principals employ when promoting fidelity to universal Multi-Tiered Systems of Support for Behavior (MTSS-B), otherwise known as Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS). The target population consisted of 62 principals and 90 staff members from Pennsylvania schools who met universal fidelity during school years 2019-20 and 2020-21. The school version of the Implementation Leadership Scale (S-ILS) was used to measure the social validity of staff and principal extent ratings of principal behaviors in support of evidence-based Tier 1 PBIS practices. Independent t-tests measuring the significance between staff and principal mean scale scores indicated principals rated themselves significantly higher on the availability subscale than staff. Fourteen principals who participated in the S-ILS survey were invited to participate in focus groups using critical incident technique to further delve into principal behaviors promoting MTSS-B/PBIS and mitigating implementation challenges. Five themes emerged identifying principal behaviors promoting fidelity: (a) focusing on relationships, (b) preparing staff to implement, (c) supporting the leadership team, (d) promoting the PBIS process, and (e) sustaining fidelity. Challenges to implementation included (a) challenges with the leadership team, (b) stakeholder resistance, (c) resource scarcity, and (d) consequences of Covid-19. When faced with challenges, principals described critical incidents where they were supportive, proactive, and communicative. Implications for theory and practice, study limitations, and recommendations for future research are also provided. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
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In the past several years, social and emotional learning (SEL) has become a widely discussed and more frequently addressed area of need in schools. SEL curricula can enhance behavioral practices at the universal tier to be able to comprehensively address the social, emotional, and behavioral needs in school buildings. With the COVID-19 pandemic, these SEL needs have become more pronounced. This case example presents a pilot evaluation of the Open Circle SEL curriculum implementation, delivered universally, at Tier 2 for all students. Universal SEL instruction was conducted weekly across an entire elementary school in the southeastern United States which had other universal, preventative strategies in place. Across the year, pre- and post-implementation teacher ratings of student SEL skills and teacher perceptions of school climate and school-level descriptive outcomes (e.g., academic achievement, office discipline referrals, attendance) were evaluated. Results indicated that the universal SEL implementation yielded differential effectiveness noted by grade level, with the intervention being more effective in increasing prosocial skills for third grade students. There were also moderate improvements in teacher perceptions of school climate and the school-level variables across grade levels. Implications for future research and practice are presented. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
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Teachers are increasingly sought after to support students that are experiencing mental health concerns. Some of the most common mental health concerns include, but are not limited to, depression, anxiety, and behavioral problems (Centers for Disease and Control Prevention [CDC], 2020a). In the United States, these mental health diagnoses have been observed in children as young as 2 to 17 years of age (CDC, 2020a). As a result, teachers have become first responders in meeting the mental health needs of students. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to further explore teachers' self-efficacy and collective efficacy and how they are responding to the mental health challenges of third-grade elementary school-aged students. Participants included 15 third-grade teachers from five schools from one school district: two traditional K-5 schools and three K-8 schools. Using Bandura's self-efficacy and collective efficacy frameworks, data revealed how teacher knowledge, skills, and strategies were influenced, along with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in addressing mental health concerns. Several findings emerged suggesting that teachers have a stronger sense of collective efficacy by working closely with school counselors, while teachers with a lower sense of collective efficacy do no seek collaborative relationships and other sources. In addition, teachers with a stronger sense of self-efficacy recognized the process in pre-identifying student mental health, while teachers with a lower sense of self-efficacy, lacked the tools to properly pre-identify students. This study has implications for teacher professional development and training, along with increasing specialized support staff. In addition, the study has implications for recognizing the coordination of education and mental health services to strengthen teacher self-efficacy and collective efficacy. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
The 21st-century learner population is increasingly demonstrating numerous social and emotional trends, including addiction, suicidal ideation, anxiety and stress management, bullying, and crisis management. The team of scholarly practitioners observes these trends in their daily practices by the increase in requests for mental health support, counseling, psychological evaluations, referrals to the Committee on Special Education from families and school personnel, and violations of the school's code of conduct. The COVID-19 pandemic intensified these trends and continues to disrupt students' social, emotional, and academic lives. The impact may be minimal for some children, whereas COVID-19 will represent an adverse childhood experience for others. Exposure to trauma can result in significant long-term negative consequences (Minkos & Gelbar, 2020). Schools continue to address the growing social-emotional needs of students with available resources and funding. However, resources and funding differ across contexts, creating inequities and challenges for districts and schools to provide the necessary support for their student population. Through the examination of K-12 organizations, research suggests one of the most significant challenges schools are currently facing is that many administrators, teachers, and support staff feel they are not adequately equipped to manage these social-emotional behaviors (Superville, 2020). These ideas serve as the focal point for this research and contribute to future consideration of how schools can meet the needs of diverse populations of learners. Systematic implementation of social-emotional learning through teacher professional development may promote positive long-term effects throughout students' educational careers and lives. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)