Transformative Social–Emotional Learning and Intergroup Dialogue: A Mixed-Methods Investigation of a School-Based Intervention

The aim of the study is to investigate changes in teachers’ perceived school climate in the first and second years of implementing the social emotional learning (SEL) program in schools, as well as to investigate differences in 3rd- to 6th-grade students’ perceived school climate. In the two years of this study, 64 teachers participated in the SEL program alongside a control group. In the first year, teachers received training on the implementation of school-level SEL and received ready-made lesson plans for the direct practice of social and emotional skills in the classroom. In the second year, the SEL teachers were divided into two subgroups, where 32 teachers received additional supervision during the implementation. In the first year, 138 students from 3rd to 6th grade participated in the SEL program alongside a control group. In the second year of SEL implementation, 223 3rd to 6th grade students participated in the program where teachers received regular supervision, and 244 students continued the SEL implementation process without changes. Georgia School Climate Survey Suite personnel, elementary and middle/high school forms were used to measure teachers’ and students’ perceived school climate. The results show that in both the first and second years, overall perceived school climate results were higher for both SEL teacher groups compared to the control teacher group. After the first year, students in grades 5 to 6 showed better mental health results. In the second year, only those 5th to 6th grade students whose teachers received regular supervision showed better mental health results. Starting from the second SEL year, both SEL 3rd- to 4th-grade student groups showed higher perceived school climate compared to the control group. The results did not change during the second year, which indicates that the Latvian SEL primarily improves mental health results for 5th- to 6th-grade students and overall perceived school climate for 3rd to 4th-grade students starting from the second SEL year. Ongoing support for teachers also stimulates better outcomes in mental health.

Protocol for a systematic review

It is aimed to investigate whether the activities conducted for Primary School 2nd Year Students are related to the social emotional learning skills of children and whether there are differences in terms of social emotional learning according to their gender, and the relationship between pre-test, post-test and follow-up tests applied to students in this study. The study group of the research includes 17 students studying at Private Erenler Güneş Primary School in Sakarya. Research data collected before 25 February 2020. In the research, the 20-item Social Emotional Learning Scale (SELS), which was adapted to Turkish by Akın and Arslan (2013), was used. It was found that the pretest results of the study did not differ in the social emotional learning skills of female and male students. According to the findings obtained after the pretest-posttest analysis, the activity process in which students participated in this subject was found to be beneficial. Considering the mean and total ranges of the difference scores, it was observed that the observed difference was in favor of positive ranks, that is, the post-test score, that is, the social emotional learning skills of children measured before the education increased after the activity period. In addition, it was determined that job description skills, peer relations skills, and self-regulation skills also increased significantly. The second aim of the study is the importance of the concept of social emotional learning in a child's upbringing, what dimensions of SELS skills are used, how to participate in the current training program to acquire sdö skills, how teachers evaluate social skills and emotional management skills and who is the target audience of the sd program. The interview technique, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the research. As a researcher, a semi-structured interview form was created by me. The interview forms were finalized with the help of expert opinions. Primary school 1st and 2nd grade teachers were asked appropriate questions. The data obtained from the interviews were analyzed by descriptive analysis method. The results of the research based on the interviews: 1- Social Emotional Learning, Bringing Individuals in harmony with the Environment and Society and Personality Development are important for the individual to grow up well 2- Achievements for the Responsible Decision Making, Problem Solving, Relationship Skills from the 5 dimensions of the SELS are targeted. 3- It is stated that there is a need to include activities and increase the gains that are associated with Sdö to participate in the current training program. 5- The target audience of SELS is considered to be all students.

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) plays a crucial role in developing students' emotional intelligence, social skills, and overall well-being. SEL focuses on five core competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Integrating SEL into English Language Teaching (ELT) aligns these competencies with language learning objectives, fostering improved communication skills and holistic student development. Research indicates that SEL enhances emotional and academic outcomes, increasing student motivation, self-confidence, and peer relationships. In ELT settings, SEL supports a positive learning environment by addressing students' emotional needs, which boosts engagement and reduces anxiety. Despite its benefits, SEL integration faces challenges such as curriculum constraints, limited time and resources, and varying levels of teacher preparedness. Effective integration requires balancing SEL with language goals, providing adequate professional development for teachers, and addressing diverse student needs. While integrating SEL into ELT poses challenges, it promotes resilience, a growth mindset, and better communication skills, contributing to overall student success. To fully capitalize on SEL, educators need ongoing training, and policymakers should support SEL within educational standards. Collaborative efforts among educators, researchers, and policymakers are essential to develop and sustain effective SEL practices, creating a more engaging and supportive learning environment for students. This paper focuses on the opportunities and challenges of the integration of SEL in ELT. Keywords: Social Emotional Learning, ELT Classroom, Opportunities, Challenges

BackgroundInequitable gender norms, beliefs and behaviors, are shaped by learning experiences during key developmental stages in an individual’s life course, and can have negative impacts on health and well-being outcomes. Very early adolescence represents one stage when formative learning experiences about gender inequity can have the potential to support or hinder more equitable gender norms, beliefs and behaviors. The aim of this qualitative study was to evaluate the effect of a gender transformative, social emotional learning intervention for very young adolescents (VYAs) that included experiential learning with peers, parents/caregivers and community members.MethodsThis study examined the effects of an intervention designed to provide social emotional learning opportunities for adolescents ages 10–11 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The qualitative sample included 279 participants. Qualitative methods included 102 in-depth interviews with VYAs, 22 focus groups with 117 VYAs, 60 in-depth interviews with parents/caregivers and 54 participant observations. A grounded theory approach was used to identify emergent themes.ResultsParticipants reported growth in targeted areas of social emotional mindsets and skills, including a shift in gender norms, beliefs and behaviors. VYAs reported that experiential learning in mixed gender teams provided opportunities to actively practice and reflect on gender norms, beliefs and behaviors. VYAs also reported active practice of social emotional mindsets and skills with peers, parents/caregivers and the community. Parents/caregivers reported changes in VYAs’ social emotional mindsets and skills within the home, with the community and with siblings and peers. Both adolescents and parent/caregivers reported positive change towards more equitable gender norms, beliefs and behaviors through participation in experiential learning activities and reflective discussions.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that an intervention providing social and emotional experiential learning opportunities during the developmental window of very young adolescence can be effective in transforming gender norms, beliefs and behaviors. Involvement of peers, parents/caregivers and community members was effective at supporting learning social emotional mindsets and skills in VYAs. Findings encourage local and global adolescent programming to include gender transformative content paired with social emotional experiential learning with peers, family and the community and can stimulate positive change in gender norms, beliefs and behaviors to promote gender equity.

BackgroundThe transition from childhood to adolescence is a uniquely sensitive period for social and emotional learning in the trajectory of human development. This transition is characterized by rapid physical growth, sexual maturation, cognitive and behavioral changes and dynamic changes in social relationships. This pivotal transition provides a window of opportunity for social emotional learning that can shape early adolescent identity formation and gender norms, beliefs and behaviors. The objective of this study is to evaluate the potential of a social emotional learning intervention for very young adolescents (VYAs) to improve social emotional mindsets and skills.MethodsDiscover Learning is a social emotional learning intervention designed for VYAs (10-11 years of age) to support development of social emotional mindsets and skills from four primary schools in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The intervention delivered three different packages of learning experiences to three arms of the study. 528 VYAs were randomized to each of the three study arms (A-Content learning, B-Content learning and reflection, and C-Content learning, reflection and experiential practice). A quantitative survey was administered to all participants before and after the intervention to capture changes in social emotional mindsets and skills. A discrete choice experiment measured changes in gender norms, beliefs and behaviors.Results528 VYAs were included in the analysis. Participants in all three arms of the study demonstrated significant improvements in social emotional mindsets and skills outcomes (generosity, curiosity, growth mindset, persistence, purpose and teamwork). However, Group C (who received experiential social learning opportunities in small, mixed-gender groups and a parent and community learning components demonstrated larger treatment effects on key outcomes in comparison to Groups A and B. Results indicate Group C participants had greater change in gender equity outcomes (OR = 1.69, p = <0.001) compared to Group A (OR = 1.30, p = <0.001) and Group B (OR = 1.23, p = 0.004).ConclusionThese findings provide evidence that social emotional learning interventions targeting VYAs can improve social emotional mindsets and skills and gender equity outcomes. The findings indicate the importance of experiential learning activities in mixed-gender groups during the unique developmental window of early adolescence. The study also provides support for the inclusion of parental/caregiver and community engagement in programs designed for VYAs.Trial registrationRetrospectively registered on July 7th, 2020. NCT0445807

Advancements in technology have improved healthcare quality but shifted the focus to efficiency, negatively impacting patient- doctor relationships. This study proposes integrating social-emotional learning (SEL) into medical education to address this issue. Social-emotional learning (SEL) is based on social learning theory and has a focus on emotion management, stress management, empathy, and social skills. Through SEL, students can develop social and emotional skills by observing, interacting with, and imitating others. Incorporating SEL into medical education would ensure that physicians develop the social and emotional skills necessary to form positive relationships with patients and to cope with the emotional demands of medical work. SEL comprises six domains, namely, the cognitive, emotion, social, values, perspective, and identity domains. These six domains are closely related to the six core competencies the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) indicated every doctor should possess, which indicates that the domains of SEL are highly relevant within the context of medical education. Furthermore, SEL can lead to the development of empathy, which can improve physicians' ability to understand patients' perspectives and emotions, and resilience, which can enable physicians to more effectively cope with the demands of their work, and it can lead to holistic development, with doctors gaining an understanding of both the technical and humanistic aspects of their work. Incorporating SEL in medical education would enable doctors to develop key social and emotional skills that would improve their ability to provide holistic medical services and therefore would improve overall medical systems.

This study aims to develop a comprehensive curriculum planning model for teaching social and emotional skills by identifying key components that enhance the effectiveness of social-emotional learning (SEL) in educational settings. Given the increasing recognition of SEL’s role in student well-being and academic success, this research seeks to address gaps in existing SEL curricula by proposing an integrative framework that aligns emotional and social competency development, pedagogical strategies, and institutional support. This qualitative study employed a semi-structured interview approach, gathering insights from 30 participants, including educators, curriculum developers, and policymakers from Tehran. A purposive sampling method was used, and data collection continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. Thematic analysis was conducted using NVivo 24, following a three-stage coding process: open coding to identify initial themes, axial coding to group related themes, and selective coding to develop overarching categories. The model was constructed based on these findings, ensuring a structured approach to SEL curriculum planning. The results revealed three primary dimensions essential for SEL curriculum planning: emotional and social competency development, pedagogical strategies for classroom implementation, and institutional and community support. Key themes included the necessity of teacher training, the role of resilience and emotional regulation, the importance of experiential learning, and the integration of SEL within educational policies. Participants emphasized that effective SEL programs require structured frameworks that support students’ emotional well-being, foster positive relationships, and provide real-world applications for social-emotional skills. This study contributes to the field of SEL by proposing a curriculum planning model that addresses critical gaps in current SEL frameworks. By emphasizing teacher preparedness, experiential learning, and institutional integration, the model provides a structured approach to embedding SEL in education systems. Future research should explore the long-term impact of this model on student development and learning outcomes.

Social emotional learning (SEL) fosters students’ emotional intelligence and social skills, and research supports the relationships between SEL and academic outcomes. Despite schools implementing SEL as required by state policies, the manner of presentation is critiqued for its relevance to students’ cultural complexities. This qualitative study examined the nuances of SEL implementation and its relevance for minoritized students in a sample of SEL school leaders. Among the themes identified were: challenges related to integrating SEL as Tier 1 interventions; shortcomings in assessing student needs and SEL outcomes; buy-in and capacity challenges with teacher interventionists; and the larger context of implementing SEL amid communities’ mixed political views about SEL and equity/inclusion efforts. Implications for using SEL to improve diverse students’ academic outcomes and well-being are discussed.

Background: This article shares the results of research on educator perceptions of the nature and value of social emotional learning (SEL) skills undertaken in four African countries: Burkina Faso, South Africa, Togo and Uganda. Social emotional learning skills make up a large component of the ‘deep human skills’, which are important academic and workforce development skills.Objectives: Using samples of 50 Burkinabe, 68 South African and 32 Togolese and 66 Ugandan educators, this study describes the (1) SEL skills educators should be using to effectively teach their students and the (2) SEL skills the educators believe students should be using to be effective learners and successfully transition into the world of work.Method: Data collection methods include online and offline surveys, with the exception of Uganda that complemented their survey data with interviews. Thematic content analysis, using modified grounded theory, was used to analyse the data, as well as the qualitative data analysis software NVivo.Results: The results indicated seven common SEL themes shared across the four African countries. The SEL themes identified were consistent with the existing framework of Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) to some extent, especially around interpersonal relationships and decision-making skills.Conclusion: The findings indicate that the salience and importance of specific SEL skills varied based on the unique history and context of each country.

"During the latter part of the 21st century, social emotional learning (SEL) started being incorporated into the classroom in a meaningful way. While SEL has garnered enough attention to be included in school curricula throughout the United States as well as several other countries worldwide, research about the import and effect of SEL is relatively new (America Succeeds, 2019). The worldwide COVID pandemic has brought about challenges beyond the obvious serious health concerns. Byproducts of the pandemic include the increased need for coping mechanisms and problem solving, interpersonal interaction skills, as well as an understanding of identity development to help children handle emotional distress resulting from the numerous significant changes in their daily lives. However, many current SEL programs do not address these key areas of concern. It is the authors’ contention that an SEL curriculum which focuses on resilience as well as key indicators of identity development, coping mechanisms, and personal de-escalation techniques are necessary to effectively aid adolescents with navigating their current lives and building a positive future. This research proposes a new SEL program that fits the needs of adolescents and preteens as administered in the school system. Building on a previous program shown to significantly improve self-esteem and school cohesion and trust (Cipra &amp; Hall, 2019), Gr2IT focuses on several key principles to help children develop social and emotional skills and resiliency in the classroom and beyond. A unique component of the program is the principle of identity. Because identity formation is a significant developmental task, understanding the reinforcing and bidirectional relation between behavior and identity is beneficial to adolescents. Gr2IT incorporates principles of identity development throughout the curriculum. In conjunction with emotional regulatory practices, problem-solving strategies, and a social equity perspective, Gr2IT introduces a holistic approach to social and emotional learning to support the positive development of youth. While Gr2IT is currently being developed for American schools, many of the principles are universal to child development and may be adapted cross culturally."

IntroductionSocial Emotional LearningSocial emotional learning not only increases individuals? academic performance but also provides individuals with adapting to changes in today?s globalization, and enables them to gain lifelong learning skills (Lindsay, 2013). Social emotional learning is described as having a capacity to define and regulate one?s own emotions accurately, improving problem solving skills, and a skill to establishing good relationships with the people around. At the same time, these skills refer to competence that all students should have (Zins & Elias, 2007). Social emotional learning improves attitudes, skills, and behaviors that are necessary for students to establish healthy relationships with their peers and teachers, and to work together efficiently. These are empathy, respect, cooperation, regulating emotions, self-control, goal setting, critical thinking and problem solving skills (Varela, Kelcey, Reyes, Gould, & Sklar, 2013). According to Elias et al. (1997), social emotional learning is an integration process of thinking, feeling, and behaving in order to be aware of oneself and the people around, to manage one?s and others? behaviors, and to take responsibility of one?s own decisions (Brackett & Rivers, 2014).Social emotional learning has five dimensions (CASEL, 2003): Self-Awareness: knowing one?s own feeling, evaluating one?s own competence realistically and developing self-reliance. Social Awareness: understanding other people?s emotions, comprehending their points of view by respecting different opinions, and interacting with them positively. Self-Management: managing emotions to do something easily, being persistent with accomplishing a goal, not losing ambition when confronted with troubles, and continuing to work. Relationship Skills: using emotions to communicate effectively, maintaining this communication healthfully and in cooperation, being resistant to negative social pressure, trying to resolve conflicts, and asking for help when needed. Responsible Decision Making: considering all possible factors when making a decision, reaching appropriate conclusion by taking into consideration different points of view, and taking responsibility for decisions.Social emotional learning competencies that are composed of five dimensions also help students develop lifelong learning competencies, which include higher order thinking skills such as problem solving and critical thinking, academic and professional skills such as organization and team work, and life skills such as citizen consciousness and following social events. Today, those competencies are defined by education specialists and employers as important skills that bring success after graduation and at a work place (Dymnicki, Sambolt, & Kidron, 2013). As Manning (1993) stated, social emotional learning is important especially for young adults. Recently, a need has arisen for individuals' hypothetical, reflective, critical thinking, moral and ethical reasoning skills to improve. In this process, social emotional learning makes a contribution to the development of these skills (Taylor & Larson, 1999).In the social emotional learning approach, alternative thinking strategies also exist. Alternative thinking strategies are derived from a dynamic model that comprises a successful operation of affective, behavioral, and cognitive systems in cooperation. These systems include social competencies as well. Alternative thinking strategies are used in order to develop individuals' social emotional competencies, prevent behavioral problems, develop critical thinking skills and enrich the classroom environment (Brackett & Rivers, 2014). Social emotional learning skills are also called life skills. Life skills are defined as critical thinking, coping with stress, emotion regulation, effective communication and self-awareness in order to cope with social problems, prevention of social differentiation and injustice, expression of oneself, decrease of prejudice against different viewpoints and thoughts, and increase of understanding (UNICEF, 2015). …

The current study aims to examine the association between high school students’ social–emotional learning (SEL) skills and their use of social media, as well as to explore potential variations based on certain variables. The research utilized relational and comparative survey methodologies, with 325 high school students participating. Data were gathered through the administration of the “Social Emotional Learning Scale” and the “Social Media Use Scale.” Analytical techniques such as t-tests, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficient were applied to analyze the collected data. The results indicate a slight, adverse connection between the social–emotional learning abilities of students and their utilization of social networking sites. Furthermore, the research revealed that the average ratings for both social–emotional learning abilities and social media usage were moderate. Additionally, no significant differences were observed in social–emotional learning skills and social media use based on gender or grade level.

SOCIAL EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN SCHOOL: THE ANATOMY OF ONE SCHOOL'S ROLE IN ADOLESCENT FEMALE DEVELOPMENT By Tanya E Forneris, M.Sc. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2006 Major Director: Steven J. Danish, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology, Psychology Department Social and emotional learning enables individuals to recognize and manage emotions, develop caring and concern for others, make responsible decisions, establish and maintain positive relationships, handle challenging situations effectively, achieve academically, and lead a healthy lifestyle. Research has shown that competent young people who are socially and emotionally competent are more likely to succeed both academically and personally and have strong personal and interpersonal skills. The purpose of this study was to examine one school's process in helping its students develop both socially and emotionally. For this study social-emotional learning was examined using the individual competencies and guidelines for schools outlined by the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL). Individual interviews were conducted with four teachers, seven school personnel, nine alumnae, four students, and four parents. Focus groups were also conducted with students from each of the four grade levels and students completed personal reflections. In addition, v11 the researcher observed many events througho~~t the school year. A number of themes emerged from the interviews, personal reflections and observations that overlapped among the different groups of participants. These themes included: the care and support provided by the teachers to the students, the opportunities for the students to be involved and become contributing members in their school and communities; the availability of structured activities to enhance relationships among peers; incorporation of values in the curriculum; having a strong and caring leader; and the structure of the school being small and all female. These results support previous research related to the enhancement of social-emotional development and parallel the five recommendations outlined by CASEL related to how schools as institutions can promote social-emotional development.

This presented research has three purposes: The first purpose of this study is to examine the power of middle school students' social emotional learning and daily life decision-making skills together as a predictor of their career development. The second purpose is to examine the career development of middle school students according to gender. Third purpose is to examine the career development of middle school students according to targeted high school type. The research group consisted of 263 middle school students (141 female, 116 male, 6 unknown). These students were studying in 3 middle schools in the center of a large city in the northwestern part of Turkey and their ages ranged between 10-15 (X̄=12.31; sd=1.07). The research data were collected by applying the Chilhood Career Development Scale, Social Emotional Learning Scale for Adolescents, Daily Life Decision Making Scale and Personal Information Form. The research data were analysed using multiple linear regression analysis, t test, and one-way ANOVA. The research results showed that middle school students' social emotional learning and daily life decision-making skills scores together accounted for a significant proportion of the variance 0.19% of the career development scores of middle school students. The results showed that the career development score mean of students targeted Anatolian high school were higher than those aiming for science high school and vocational and technical high school. There was not significantly differences in career development scores of the students according to gender. The research results were discussed based on the relevant literature, provided important implications for the theoretical and practical literature on career development, social emotional learning and daily life decision-making skills and suggestions were presented for future theoretical and practical research.