Abstract
The incorporation of social and emotional learning (SEL) in schools has been shown to improve academic and psychological health of students. Research has been limited regarding implementation of SEL programs in rural communities, where student needs are heightened. The current study examined factors that could impact teachers’ intentions to be early adopters of a SEL curriculum in a rural community. Seventy-six teachers provided self-report data regarding perceptions of professional strengths, school climate, school resources for student support, ability to educate diverse students, ability to teach specific SEL domains, and intentions to be an early adopter of a SEL program. Present results indicated positive perceptions of school climate, one’s ability to teach diverse students, and one’s ability to teach self-management skills positively predicted intentions to be an early adopter of a SEL curriculum. Implications for rural schools are explored and recommendations for adoption of SEL curricula in rural schools are provided.
Highlights
The incorporation of social and emotional learning (SEL) in schools has been shown to improve academic and psychological health of students
The purpose of the present study was to investigate the extent to which teachers in rural schools believed that they had the relevant skills, knowledge, and resources to provide SEL to students, and how this might predict their intentions to be an early adopter of a SEL curriculum
These results suggest that teachers who perceived themselves as working in a positive school climate and perceived themselves as capable of successfully engaging a diverse group of students in the classroom were more likely to intend to be early adopters of SEL curricula
Summary
The incorporation of social and emotional learning (SEL) in schools has been shown to improve academic and psychological health of students. One prevention-based method of addressing some of these youth mental health concerns is through school-based social and emotional learning (SEL) programs. SEL has demonstrated effectiveness in addressing students’ mental health and academic achievement, research surrounding SEL effectiveness in rural schools is limited (Center for Public Education, 2018; Reynolds, 2017). This is unfortunate because results from SEL research conducted in non-rural schools are promising. Improved social and emotional competence among students can increase the probability of high school graduation, readiness for postsecondary education, career success, positive family relationships, and mental health as well as reduce criminal behavior (Hawkins et al, 2008; Jones et al, 2015). SEL curricula could be especially beneficial for these students in rural education environments
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