Emotional Curriculum Research Articles

‘Don’t hog, share and just let your imagination flow’: lessons from structured and unstructured loose parts play in middle primary school classrooms

AbstractDespite the many benefits of play, within primary school, play is often reduced to lunch breaks, particularly as children move to higher grades. Loose parts play affords children opportunities to develop imagination and 21st-century skills (collaboration, communication, creativity and critical thinking). As part of a larger project, two Year 4 classes in an Australian primary school (two teachers and 46 children, aged 9–10 years) engaged in one hour of structured or unstructured loose parts play during class time for eight weeks using a Nüdel Kart (loose parts play cart). Children in the structured play group were set challenges and taught creative attitudes and processes. Data was collected through children’s surveys and focus groups and teacher interviews. Children and teachers were overwhelmingly positive about the play sessions. Children enjoyed the opportunities for construction, social skills and creativity, while teachers focused on inclusion and social skills. Future classroom practice recommendations include integrating both play types and meeting creativity and social and emotional curriculum requirements through loose parts play.

Thriving Amidst the Pandemic: Teaching Gifted Students Online and the Role of Adaptation and Innovation

During the COVID-19 pandemic, schools across the globe shifted to emergency remote instruction. This mixed methods study explored gifted education teachers’ experiences and perspectives regarding remote instruction during the first year of the pandemic. Technology training, preparation in gifted education pedagogy, and teachers’ perceptions of their effectiveness during remote instruction were examined. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from 310 teachers across 31 states using an online survey and focus groups. Results revealed that teachers augmented traditional instruction to include strategies that facilitated student interaction, enrichment opportunities, timely feedback, and social and emotional curriculum. Teachers who reported receiving sufficient technology training felt better able to integrate creativity into their virtual lessons. Two major themes emerged describing how educators optimized their teaching practices: (a) 24/7 Learning Environment and (b) Personalization. Recommendations include the need for continued professional learning for administrators and educators to advance remote learning for gifted learners.

Validity and reliability for a social emotional curriculum based assessment for young children

Validity and reliability for a social emotional curriculum based assessment for young children

The Emotional Curriculum of Climate Justice Education: An Existential Toolkit

While we tend to focus on the physical impacts of climate change, our ecological crisis is also taking a significant emotional toll. This executive summary outlines ways that anxiety, fear, hopelessness and guilt impact student learning in environmental studies (ESS) programs, and immobilizes young people from getting engaged in climate solutions. We also suggest that ESS curriculum is itself partly responsible for these spiraling emotions among students. In response to the need to better understand this emotional register of teaching and learning about our climate crisis, we outline a set of college-level teaching strategies – titled “An Existential Toolkit for Climate Justice” – whose purpose is to help students and educators develop the resilience to cope with our climate emergency.

“Here Comes a Thought”: Steven Universe as Social Emotional Curriculum

Abstract The emphasis on social emotional learning as a focus in schools has led to the development of new materials for curriculum in classrooms for teaching social emotional content and competencies. This paper conceptualizes the use of narrative television and animation, specifically, the cartoons Steven Universe and Steven Universe Future as powerful pedagogical tools for engaging social emotional learning in classrooms. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the efficacy of these cartoons as tools for classroom use given their emphasis on inclusivity, diversity, and their popularity with young people today. Utilizing the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning Competencies as a framework, the paper highlights selected episodes of the shows, and demonstrates ways the shows can be used to teach these competencies. As teachers continue to encounter ever-diversifying student populations, the use of media such as Steven Universe can help support inclusive classroom environments that engage the emotional lives and experiences of young people today.

An emotional competence curriculum for young children four to five years old

The aim of this study is to test the efficacy of the Seeds of Unity curriculum on a Pre-Kindergarten class consisting of four to five-year-old children in Brooklyn New York. The syllabus is a fusion of The Starting Small Program created by the Southern Poverty Law Center and the teaching of emotional competence theory. This study measured fourteen, four to five-year-old children before and after a ten-month exposure to the Seeds of Unity Curriculum. The Social Skills Rating Scale (SSRS) was utilized to measure changes in emotional competence before and after exposure to the curriculum. The results showed a mean score on the Gresham Social Skills index that placed the girls in the 76% before the program and the 97% after, and the boys went from the 64% to the 89% when measured against children their age. Despite the small N, this study showed that using this curriculum, increased social emotional intelligence. The competencies incorporated into this paradigm are vital to improving relations between cultures in the ethnically diverse New York city schools and provides hope that change is possible.

Psychosocial Well-Being, Mental Health, and Available Supports in an Arab Enclave: Exploring Outcomes for Foreign-Born and U.S.-Born Adolescents.

Introduction: Few studies have assessed the impact of displacement, resettlement, and discrimination on well-being outcomes for adolescent refugees resettled within the U.S. Conducted in three charter schools in the intergenerational Arab enclave of the Detroit Metropolitan Area, this mixed-methods study assessed the mental health and psychosocial support for both U.S.- and foreign-born adolescents from the Middle East and North Africa region.Methods: A quantitative survey was used to collect data on 176 students. Key outcomes included hope, prosocial behaviors, resilience, depressive, anxiety, externalizing symptoms, stressful life events, perceived social support, and sense of school belonging. Differences in outcomes between U.S.- and foreign-born students were compared using T-tests. Regression analysis explored whether outcomes were gendered and correlated with years in the U.S. for foreign-born students. Qualitative data collection included key informant interviews with school staff and community service providers, student focus group discussions, and caregiver interviews. Interview transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis and the constant comparative method.Results: No statistically significant differences between the foreign-born and U.S.-born groups were observed. However, analysis revealed that resilience decreased for male students with time spent in the U.S. Qualitative themes illuminated these results; shared cultural heritage allowed newcomer students to access relevant language and psychosocial support, while inter- and intra-group peer relationships strengthened students' dual language skills and identity formation. However, shifting gender expectations and role hierarchies for newcomer students revealed boys' increased stressors in the family domain and girls' better accessed support in the school context.Conclusion: The existence of an immigrant paradox in this enclave setting was not supported. Instead, findings highlight the reciprocal value of peer-based mentorships and friendships between U.S.- and foreign-born students with similar cultural backgrounds, the importance of social and emotional curricula and cultural competency training within schools, and the gendered effects of acculturation.

Teachers’ Acceptance of a Psychodynamically Based Schoolwide Mental Health Consultation Program

We report on a novel mental health classroom consultation program that is guided by psychodynamic principles rather than a scripted curriculum or manualized program. Based on each teacher’s needs and existing skills, consultants may divide their time among meeting with teachers, directly intervening with students, referring parents for services, and helping teachers implement a social–emotional learning curriculum. Throughout, they strive to build trusting relationships and promote mentalization with teachers as well as with students. Given the unusual design of this program model, it was important to assess teacher acceptance. A 2-year pilot in three high-poverty New York City schools assigned some classrooms to consultants and others to a comparison group. Results revealed that teachers who received consultation reported good relationships with their consultants. They reported that of all activities performed, consultants helped most by co-teaching the social–emotional curriculum. Furthermore, compared to teachers in a comparison group, those receiving consultation improved their self-efficacy with respect to promoting social–emotional competence, knowing effective strategies for dealing with behavioral challenges, and communicating with mental health providers. This model shows promise in light of high teacher acceptance.

Modifying the secondary school environment to reduce bullying and aggression: the INCLUSIVE cluster RCT

BackgroundBullying, aggression and violence among children and young people are some of the most consequential public mental health problems.ObjectivesThe INCLUSIVE (initiating change locally in bullying and aggression through the school environment) trial evaluated the Learning Together intervention, which involved students in efforts to modify their school environment using restorative approaches and to develop social and emotional skills. We hypothesised that in schools receiving Learning Together there would be lower rates of self-reported bullying and perpetration of aggression and improved student biopsychosocial health at follow-up than in control schools.DesignINCLUSIVE was a cluster randomised trial with integral economic and process evaluations.SettingForty secondary schools in south-east England took part. Schools were randomly assigned to implement the Learning Together intervention over 3 years or to continue standard practice (controls).ParticipantsA total of 6667 (93.6%) students participated at baseline and 5960 (83.3%) students participated at final follow-up. No schools withdrew from the study.InterventionSchools were provided with (1) a social and emotional curriculum, (2) all-staff training in restorative approaches, (3) an external facilitator to help convene an action group to revise rules and policies and to oversee intervention delivery and (4) information on local needs to inform decisions.Main outcome measuresSelf-reported experience of bullying victimisation (Gatehouse Bullying Scale) and perpetration of aggression (Edinburgh Study of Youth Transitions and Crime school misbehaviour subscale) measured at 36 months. Intention-to-treat analysis using longitudinal mixed-effects models.ResultsPrimary outcomes – Gatehouse Bullying Scale scores were significantly lower among intervention schools than among control schools at 36 months (adjusted mean difference –0.03, 95% confidence interval –0.06 to 0.00). There was no evidence of a difference in Edinburgh Study of Youth Transitions and Crime scores. Secondary outcomes – students in intervention schools had higher quality of life (adjusted mean difference 1.44, 95% confidence interval 0.07 to 2.17) and psychological well-being scores (adjusted mean difference 0.33, 95% confidence interval 0.00 to 0.66), lower psychological total difficulties (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire) score (adjusted mean difference –0.54, 95% confidence interval –0.83 to –0.25), and lower odds of having smoked (odds ratio 0.58, 95% confidence interval 0.43 to 0.80), drunk alcohol (odds ratio 0.72, 95% confidence interval 0.56 to 0.92), been offered or tried illicit drugs (odds ratio 0.51, 95% confidence interval 0.36 to 0.73) and been in contact with police in the previous 12 months (odds ratio 0.74, 95% confidence interval 0.56 to 0.97). The total numbers of reported serious adverse events were similar in each arm. There were no changes for staff outcomes. Process evaluation – fidelity was variable, with a reduction in year 3. Over half of the staff were aware that the school was taking steps to reduce bullying and aggression. Economic evaluation – mean (standard deviation) total education sector-related costs were £116 (£47) per pupil in the control arm compared with £163 (£69) in the intervention arm over the first two facilitated years, and £63 (£33) and £74 (£37) per pupil, respectively, in the final, unfacilitated, year. Overall, the intervention was associated with higher costs, but the mean gain in students’ health-related quality of life was slightly higher in the intervention arm. The incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year was £13,284 (95% confidence interval –£32,175 to £58,743) and £1875 (95% confidence interval –£12,945 to £16,695) at 2 and 3 years, respectively.LimitationsOur trial was carried out in urban and periurban settings in the counties around London. The large number of secondary outcomes investigated necessitated multiple statistical testing. Fidelity of implementation of Learning Together was variable.ConclusionsLearning Together is effective across a very broad range of key public health targets for adolescents.Future workFurther studies are required to assess refined versions of this intervention in other settings.Trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trials ISRCTN10751359.FundingThis project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Public Health Research programme and will be published in full inPublic Health Research; Vol. 7, No. 18. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information. Additional funding was provided by the Educational Endowment Foundation.

Redefining the importance of children's voices in personal social emotional development curriculum using the Mosaic Approach

ABSTRACTThe research explores the implementation of the Mosaic Approach into a Greek early years’ setting. For the data collection, 21 children were observed using cameras, tours, mapping, and researcher's interviews with teachers and parents. Special consideration was given to the newly added tool of peer-to-peer interviews. Results depicted children's need for quality relationships with peers and adults and their favourite and least favourite places in their school. The authors suggest the adaptation of the Mosaic Approach into the Personal, Social and Emotional Development curriculum as an educational tool of children's rights which empowers their voices, as well as reinforcing their self-esteem and ability to form quality relationships.

A mixed‐methods study of a social emotional curriculum for Black male success: A school‐based pilot study of the Brothers of Ujima

AbstractThe purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of a social emotional learning curriculum, Brothers of Ujima, for children at risk for being referred for placement in emotional and behavioral support classrooms. The Brothers of Ujima is a strength‐based culturally relevant intervention for African American boys aged 10–14. The purpose of the 14‐week program is to strengthen positive self‐esteem, ethnic identity, and prosocial behaviors while reducing negative behaviors among boys. The curriculum objectives are for boys to critically assess myths and stereotypes of African Americans presented in the media, to help boys develop creative thinking and leadership skills, to increase appreciation of African and African American culture, and to learn adaptive coping skills when faced with discrimination. This study is the first to evaluate this curriculum in a school‐based setting. Fourteen 6th‐ and 7th‐grade students participated in the intervention. Results show that males demonstrated an increase in Afrocentric values, but not in racial identity or resiliency. Teacher interviews showed that the intervention was feasible for a school setting; however, modifications to format and lessons content should be undertaken for future studies.

Building resilience in school nurses

British Journal of School NursingVol. 12, No. 2 RepresentationBuilding resilience in school nursesGillian TurnerGillian TurnerSearch for more papers by this authorGillian TurnerPublished Online:23 Mar 2017https://doi.org/10.12968/bjsn.2017.12.2.98AboutSectionsView articleView Full TextPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail View article References Ball J (2009) School Nursing in 2009. Royal College of Nursing. https://www2.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/275857/003552.pdf (accessed 28 February 2017) Google ScholarBroussard L, Meyers R (2010) School nurse resilience: Experiences after multiple natural disasters. The Journal of School Nursing 26(3): 203–11 Google ScholarCoates M, Gilroy V (2012) The role of Specialist Community Public Health Nurses: Students' perceptions. Community Practitioner 85(8): 28–31 Google ScholarCoates M, Gilroy V (2014) Specialist community public health nurses: readiness for practice. Community Practitioner 87(1): 32–5 Google ScholarCoverdale G (2010) Ready, willing and able? Specialist community public health nurses' views of their public health role. Journal of Research in Nursing 17(1): 47–63 Crossref, Google ScholarDyer J, McGuinness T (1996) Resilience: analysis of the concept. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing 10(5): 276–82 Crossref, Google ScholarGrant L, Kinman G (2013a) The importance of emotional resilience for staff and students in the ‘helping’ professions: Developing an emotional curriculum. https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/system/files/emotional_resilience_louise_grant_march_2014_0.pdf (accessed 28 February 2017) Google ScholarGrant L, Kinman G (2013b) ‘Bouncing back?’ Personal representations of resilience of student and experienced social workers. Practice: Social Work in Action 25(5): 349–66 Google ScholarHealth & Social Care Act 2012 [online] http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2012/7/contents/enacted (accessed 28 February 2017) Google ScholarJackson B, Firtko A, Edenborough M (2007) Personal resilience as a strategy for surviving and thriving in the face of workplace adversity: A literature review. Journal of Advanced Nursing 60(1): 1–9 Crossref, Google ScholarKelsey C, Hayes S (2012) A framework for educational leadership. Primary Health Care 22(8): 16–9 Crossref, Google ScholarMcAllister M, McKinnon J (2008) The importance of teaching and learning resilience in health disciplines: A critical review of the literature. Nurse Education Today 29: 371–9 Crossref, Google ScholarMcDonald, G, Jackson, D, Vickers,M, Wilks L (2016) Surviving workplace adversity: a qualitative study of nurses and midwives and their strategies to increase personal resilience. Journal of Nursing Management 24: 123–31 Crossref, Google ScholarMorton S (2013) What support do health visitor mentors need? Community Practitioner 86(8): 32–5 Google ScholarNHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement. (2005) Improvement Leaders' Guide: Managing the Human Dimensions of Change. Google ScholarNHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement Nursing and Midwifery Council (2004) Standards of Proficiency for Specialist Community Public Health Nurses. https://www.nmc.org.uk/globalassets/sitedocuments/standards/nmc-standards-of-proficiency-for-specialist-community-public-health-nurses.pdf (accessed 28 February 2017) Google ScholarSpratt J, Philip K, Shucksmith J, Kiger A, Gair D (2010) ‘We are the ones that talk about difficult subjects’: Nurses in schools working to support young people's mental health. Pastoral Care in Education 28(2): 131–44 Crossref, Google ScholarWornast T, Smith A (2010) Supporting the competence of practitioners: Back to the future? Community Practitioner 83(10): 34–7 Google Scholar FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails 2 March 2017Volume 12Issue 2ISSN (print): 1752-2803ISSN (online): 2052-2827 Metrics History Published online 23 March 2017 Published in print 2 March 2017 Information© MA Healthcare LimitedPDF download

Improving Emotional Intelligence in Children: Early Childhood Emotional Curriculum

Improving Emotional Intelligence in Children: Early Childhood Emotional Curriculum

Effect of Tools for Getting Along on Student Risk for Emotional and Behavioral Problems in Upper Elementary Classrooms: A Replication Study

.Social–emotional learning curricula to prevent student problematic behaviors should play a prominent role in public school instruction. While social–emotional curricula have been shown to be effective, there are few replication studies that substantiate their capacity to improve outcomes for students who exhibit problem behaviors. Thus, we conducted a partial replication of a randomized controlled field trial of the Tools for Getting Along curriculum designed to increase self-regulatory functions of upper elementary school students. We found main effects on social problem-solving and significant pretest-by-condition interaction effects on teacher-reported executive function, behavioral adjustment, and aggression. We also found interaction effects on student-reported anger. The current findings are similar to the results reported for the initial study. We also specified high-risk subsamples of students for each of eight outcome factors and found main effects on emotion regulation and positive social problem-solving and a marginally significant effect on metacognition.

‘Put on Your Own Oxygen Mask before Assisting Others’: Social Work Educators' Perspectives on an ‘Emotional Curriculum’

‘Put on Your Own Oxygen Mask before Assisting Others’: Social Work Educators' Perspectives on an ‘Emotional Curriculum’

Emotional Resilience in the Helping Professions and how it can be Enhanced

This paper provides an overview of research that has examined the benefits of emotional resilience for the wellbeing and employability of helping professionals such as social workers, nurses and midwives. It outlines the competencies that have been associated with emotional resilience (such as emotional literacy, reflective ability, appropriate empathy and social competence) and considers how they have the potential to help people to cope with the emotional demands inherent in the helping professions. Some evidence-based strategies are highlighted to help academic staff develop an ‘emotional curriculum’ to foster emotional resilience in students training for the helping professions.

‘Keeping it real’ with an emotional curriculum

Students’ emotions can significantly enhance or distract from learning. This paper details a case study of innovative pedagogy in which an ‘emotional curriculum’ was central to my teaching. The analysis of student journals, on-line discussions, and metaphorical exercises revealed a vicissitude of emotions that stemmed from challenging course expectations and group dynamics. Attention to emotions enhanced my ability to address conflicts and to identify the role of affect in the development of students’ academic abilities and identities. Despite the challenges of an ‘emotional curriculum’, I invite others to attend to emotions to enhance the learning and teaching process.

Promoting positive emotional health of children of transient armed forces families

The focus of this research was to promote emotional health in a small primary school ( n = 180), with a highly transient pupil population of armed forces children (Service children). Negative effects of pupil mobility have been found to relate to academic attainment (Dobson, Henthorne, & Lynas, 2000; Mott, 2002), but its effect on social and emotional development is less specific. A multi-stranded approach to intervention was used, which included the delivery of pilot curricular materials on emotional literacy to two classes in the school, an educational programme (Seasons for Growth) delivered to a smaller group of pupils and the development of a specific critical incident policy in the event of a casualty notification. Post-intervention, evaluation measures did not point to increases in pupils’ emotional literacy scores but the qualitative data indicated that the emotional literacy curriculum did receive positive ratings by pupils and staff. Findings suggest the importance of an emotional health curriculum for a mobile school community and the role of parental involvement to sustain curricular interventions. Further research could investigate the extent of behavioural and emotional difficulties for mobile pupils across primary and secondary schools and the effect of a whole school approach to emotional literacy for this group of pupils. Implications for Educational Psychologists’ (EP) practice indicate an increasing role in psycho-education and integrated work with health agencies.

A Multi-Systemic School-Based Approach for Addressing Childhood Aggression

School-based approaches to addressing aggression in the early grades have focused on explicit curriculum addressing social and emotional processes. The current study reviews research on the distinct modes of aggression, the status of current research on social and emotional processing relevant to problems of aggression amongst young children, as well as the social-relationship processes that occur in schools that hold transformative potential for children's aggression and behavioural development. A framework incorporating peer-to-peer, teacher–child, and teacher-parent relationship components within a social–emotional curriculum is outlined to inform a multisystemic approach to addressing young children's aggression.

Extending Classwide Social Skills Interventions to At-Risk Minority Students: A Preliminary Application of Randomization Tests Combined with Single-Subject Design Methodology

Disproportionate representation of minority students in special education programs is a continuing issue of concern. A social emotional curriculum, the Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS), was implemented in a classwide and curricular-integrated format with initial effects evaluated for 3 third-grade African American children identified as at risk for special education referral. Effects were examined using direct observations of each target child's cooperative play in a multiple-baseline design across subjects with intervention onset randomized. Visual and randomization test analyses showed increased cooperative play associated with the PATHS intervention. The combined design and analysis may serve as a viable response-to-intervention approach for reducing referral assessment bias of at-risk minority students. Benefits and limitations of the analysis methods and the PATHS intervention are discussed.