Cultural Adaptation of an Educator Social–Emotional Learning Program to Support Indigenous Students

Abstract

Supporting Indigenous students’ social–emotional learning (SEL) is important given the systemic impact of colonialism that has contributed to their higher mental health and academic disparities compared to White students. One way to promote SEL is through professional development for educators, yet there has been little research on the development of SEL programs that are culturally responsive to Indigenous people and contexts. The purpose of this study is to highlight the process of culturally adapting a social–emotional program, Educators Navigating and Generating Approaches for Genuine Empowerment (ENGAGE), for educators at a school located in a tribal nation in the Rocky Mountain region. Driven by transformative SEL and tribal critical race theory, we coadapted ENGAGE with community members through community-based participatory research. Through thematic analysis, we examined the unique values and culturally responsive considerations that arose during the research process. Five themes emerged from the data: (1) Understanding resilience in the face of trauma; (2) Fostering culture and traditions; (3) Building Relationships, respect, and reciprocity; (4) Highlighting the core role of educators in SEL; and (5) Educators supporting each other. Implications for school psychologists, including considerations for decolonizing research and practice, are discussed. Impact Statement In partnership with an Indigenous community, this study highlights how to culturally adapt educator professional development programs to align with Indigenous students’ values and cultures. Results show the importance of integrating Indigenous community members’ voices and leveraging their cultural strengths in order to support their children in schools.