Social-emotional Learning Curricula Research Articles

Making Space for Social and Emotional Learning in Science Education

Social-emotional learning (SEL) is known to improve student outcomes but is rarely combined with STEM. In this paper we present an action research study to examine the impact of a STEM + SEL curriculum intervention to address a real-world school conflict. One hundred sixth–eighth graders and four teachers participated in an in-person facilitation of a SEL Arthropod curriculum, DIFFERENT. After the intervention, students completed open-ended couplet statements about arthropod behavior, tarantulas, and humans designed to measure sentiment change. Answers were manually coded using inductive coding on a scale of negative (1) to positive (5). Statement sentiments significantly shifted from negative to neutral and negative to positive for all three questions. Neutral to positive shifts were only significant for the couplet statements about arthropod behavior. This study reports the first confirmed instance of successful use of arthropods for SEL within a curriculum that integrates students’ social-emotional skills within a science classroom.

Examining the Relationships among Cognitive Ability, Domain-Specific Self-Concept, and Behavioral Self-Esteem of Gifted Children Aged 5-6 Years: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Although childhood is a critical period of development during which all children begin a lifelong process of self-discovery that shapes their identities, few studies have focused on the self-concept and self-esteem of young, gifted children. This study recruited 108 gifted children aged 5–6 years from Greece and their preschool teachers to explore the relationships among cognitive ability, domain-specific self-concepts, and global self-esteem. The Pictorial Scale for Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance was used to assess the domain-specific self-concepts of the participants, whereas behavioral manifestations of self-esteem were rated by the children’s teachers using the Behavioral Academic Self-Esteem Scale. There were positive correlations among IQ, perceived scholastic competence, and global self-esteem. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that significant predictors of global self-esteem were male gender, higher IQ, perceived scholastic competence, and perceived maternal acceptance. Additionally, there were gender differences in global self-esteem and perceived physical competence in favor of boys, whereas perceived maternal acceptance favored girls. This article discusses the need for practitioners working with gifted children to enact a comprehensive social–emotional learning curriculum in schools that promotes academic as well as personal and character strengths. Finally, the limitations of the study and suggestions for future research are also presented.

A Quasi-Experimental Study on Social Emotional Learning and Primary Prevention

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to determine the efficacy of the Top 20 social emotional learning (SEL) program and how their SEL curriculum may lead to an increase in SEL. The secondary goal of this study was to explore how the social emotional competencies of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, personal responsibility, decision-making, optimistic thinking, and goal-directed behavior may play a significant role in a child and adolescent’s social emotional development. A total of 359 middle school students participated in the study. The experimental group consisted of 170 students and the control group consisted of 189 students. Two middle school teachers at the school helped embed and teach the Top 20 SEL curriculum and monthly SEL lessons to all students in the experimental group. The teachers completed the Devereux Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA) pre-test one month into the study and the DESSA post-test five months later. The descriptive analysis revealed an increase in all eight social emotional competencies for the experimental group with a total SEL difference score of M = 8.23. The Top 20 SEL program has demonstrated how experience and practice in SEL skills are more likely to lead to an increase in SEL.

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.

Teacher-Level Predictors of the Fidelity of Implementation of a Social-Emotional Learning Curriculum

ABSTRACT This study examined teacher characteristics associated with the fidelity of implementation of a social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum, known as Settle Your Glitter. Prekindergarten through first-grade teachers (N = 60; 52% African American, 30% White, 18% Hispanic/Latinx) from seven schools were observed delivering lessons during the first month of implementation. These observations captured the quality of their initial lesson delivery. At the end of the first month, teachers reported on their adherence to the curriculum’s pacing guide. Each of these fidelities of implementation measures served as criterion variables. During the first month of the school year (and prior to curriculum implementation), teachers rated their self-efficacy for managing classroom behavior, and observers assessed teachers on three domains of interactions with students, that of emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support. These measures, along with school participation in the program (voluntary vs. mandatory) and teacher demographics, served as predictor variables. Research Findings: Multiple regression analyses indicated that instructional support was the only positive predictor of the quality of lesson delivery. Self-efficacy for classroom management, years of teaching experience, and teacher ethnicity/race predicted dosage adherence to the curriculum schedule. Teachers with greater pre-implementation classroom management self-efficacy and more teaching experience had higher dosage adherence. Latinx/Hispanic teachers were less likely than White, non-Hispanic teachers to adhere to the curriculum schedule. Practice or Policy: Implications for tailoring SEL professional development support are discussed.

INFLUENCING PROACTIVE AND REACTIVE AGGRESSION: C-SELF THE SOCIO-EMOTIONAL LEARNING FORTIFICATION PROGRAM IN ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA.

There are no structured programs to respond to youth violence amongst students in the Caribbean. There has been little data collected and organized research conducted on the efficacy and impact of programs which may combat youth violence. Without rigorous impact evaluations, the region continues to lack effective and sustaining strategies for preventive programs. This manuscript shares outcomes from the implementation of the Children and Youth Social-Emotional Learning Fortification (C-SELF) strategy embedded into the curriculum in five schools in Antigua and Barbuda. In 2020, using data from 2017 to 2018, a mixed method study was conducted with 482 (intervention) and 152 (control) primary school students. Data was analyzed for the influence of the intervention on 16 factors. The findings suggest positive outcomes, without significance, in self-control and competence. It demonstrates the importance of social-emotional learning curriculum changes to increase children’s mastery of self-regulated behaviors, decision-making, self-management, and self-leadership skills.

School Staff and Youth Perspectives of Tier 1 Restorative Practices Classroom Circles

This case study describes the experiences and perceptions of school staff and students participating in restorative practices (RP) community building circles during the first year of school-wide RP implementation. Data sources include (a) beginning- and end-of-year surveys of school staff perspectives and experiences with implementing RP, (b) semistructured interviews conducted with 17 school staff, and (c) surveys of third- to fifth-grade (N = 107) students regarding their experiences participating in RP classroom circles. Across all data sources, the connection between community building circles and social–emotional learning (SEL) was evident and well articulated. Additionally, students and staff highlighted challenges in circle participation, equitable circle accessibility for all students, and tensions between RP and school discipline. The promise of RP to support SEL curriculum may only be realized if RP implementation is designed as a school-wide system to promote social development for both students and the adults who serve them.

The Integration of OT in Implementation of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) at the Classroom Level: A Qualitative Study

Abstract Date Presented 03/28/20 A qualitative study was done evaluating the feasibility of implementing an adapted SEL curriculum in an urban elementary school. The curriculum was adapted by OT students to meet the learning needs of individuals with unidentified disabilities. Primary Author and Speaker: Teal Benevides Additional Authors and Speakers: Margaret Bloder, McKenzie Lamb Contributing Authors: Taylor Crews, Tori Hutson, Delaney Knight, Sterling Su, Kim Barker

Comparing the Effectiveness of Social-Emotional Learning Curriculum of Strong Kids on Sense of Belonging to School among Primary School Children of Affluent and Deprived areas of Hamedan

Comparing the Effectiveness of Social-Emotional Learning Curriculum of Strong Kids on Sense of Belonging to School among Primary School Children of Affluent and Deprived areas of Hamedan

Social-Emotional Learning in the Middle Grades: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of the Strong Kids Program

Adolescence can be a particularly difficult time for youth as they experience the physical, social, and academic changes that accompany maturation. One of the most critical challenges for schools is teaching adolescent students positive social and emotional skills, which are crucial for them to succeed academically and emotionally. Strong Kids is a social-emotional learning curriculum designed to reduce students’ internalizing symptoms. Strong Kids has shown promise in elementary schools; this was the first study to evaluate the newly updated version of the program in a middle level school setting. Two general education teachers implemented the curriculum with eight students at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders. Researchers used a mixed methods design to evaluate outcomes. Findings suggest that Strong Kids was effective at improving students’ social-emotional knowledge and internalizing symptoms; however, there were no significant changes in their externalizing symptoms.

Spiritual Formation Parallels to Social-Emotional Learning Curriculum: A Contextual Analysis of ‘Frog Street Curriculum’

ABSTRACTSocial-emotional learning skills are desirable for healthy child development just as literacy and mathematical skills are desirable for academic development. Because three-year-old children are expected to participate in socially acceptable behaviour in society, many faith-based early learning centres use a curriculum that provides social-emotional learning skills. ‘Frog Street’ is an early learning curriculum that focuses on five learning domains: physical development, cognitive development, language development, approaches to learning, and social-emotional development. The portion of the curriculum devoted to social-emotional is based on ‘Conscious Discipline’ which is a programme that develops social and emotional intelligence. While neither ‘Conscious Discipline’ nor ‘Frog Street’ was designed to promote Christian spiritual formation in young children, the social-emotional component of Frog Street, built from Conscious Discipline, can allow teachers in faith-based early learning centres, who choose to do so, to incorporate elements of Christian spiritual formation alongside the impartation of social-emotional skills.

Social-Emotional Learning and Evaluation in After-School Care: A Working Model

Social-emotional competence in children is an important area in which to develop and improve effective programs and evaluation. Research shows a positive association between social-emotional learning (SEL) and improvements in students’ conduct, social behavior, and school engagement as well as decreases in high-risk behaviors such as taking drugs, smoking and aggression. Extensive research points to the positive benefits of successful SEL curriculum in schools, but less research exists on SEL implementation in after-school care settings. Since social-emotional competence is correlated with higher positive effects and a decrease of negative effects in the social, behavioral, and academic outcomes of children exposed to these programs, more research is needed on the most effective format and environment for implementation. The purpose of this article is to review this research, and report the results of an evaluation comparing pre- and post-program survey data from children (n = 125; age range=4-11 years) attending an after-school program that has incorporated an SEL curriculum. Results showed significant increases in two SEL competencies: empathy and self-soothing. The advantages to providing both SEL instruction and evaluation in after-school care settings in addition to schools is also explored.

Examining the Differential Effects of a Universal SEL Curriculum on Student Functioning Through the Dual Continua Model of Mental Health.

Social-emotional learning (SEL) curricula, such as Second Step, are increasingly being adopted and implemented as universal supports in schools in order to prevent social-emotional and behavioral problems and promote wellbeing and success. Notwithstanding the empirical support for SEL as a universal prevention strategy, a closer look at the literature indicates that students display differential responses to SEL based on their behavioral functioning at baseline; those students with the highest need benefit the most from SEL. The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate whether a widely-adopted SEL program produces significant effects for different theoretically-constructed groups of students who are representative of the full spectrum of students in a school. Using data from a large-scale randomized controlled trial evaluating Second Step, analyses examined the extent to which group membership according to the dual continua model of mental health differentially changed based on whether the student was in the intervention or control condition. Overall, results evidenced significant effects favoring the intervention condition across groups in line with our general hypotheses, although both conditions experienced transitions in membership. As expected, those in the intervention condition experienced greater transition between groups, which was indicative of either treatment or prevention effects. Implications, limitations, and future directions of the findings for SEL programming in schools are discussed.

Two-year impact of a universal social-emotional learning curriculum: Group differences from developmentally sensitive trends over time.

This study examined the impact of a commonly adopted elementary universal social-emotional learning program, Second Step, on student social-emotional and academic outcomes following 2 years of implementation. The cluster-randomized wait-list control trial included 61 schools, 321 teachers, and 8,941 early elementary students across 2 states, with assessments collected in the fall and spring across 2 years. We developed 8 theoretically derived growth patterns that potentially described the intervention and counterfactual conditions, and then selected the model with the greatest support from the data for each outcome with an information-theoretic approach. Differences between intervention and control groups were tested within the best-fitting model in order to reduce misspecification and maximize generalizability. Most measures fit a pattern in which students improved only during instructional time in school and not during the summer; the data rarely fit the commonly assumed linear growth model. Improvements related to Second Step were observed for emotional symptoms, hyperactivity, skills for learning, and emotion management, but these were modified by either pretest levels or student sex. Condition effects for peer problems were larger for students with initially low ratings and for boys. Boys also showed improvements in conduct problems. Study impacts generally did not depend upon student grade level. The results confirmed the importance of identifying developmentally sensitive trajectories and suggested important implications for Second Step implementation in early elementary grades. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

The School-Based Mental Health Collaboration (SBMHC): A Multi-Level University-School Partnership

ABSTRACTThis article describes The School-Based Mental Health Collaboration (SBMHC), a novel school-based mental health partnership between Teachers College, Columbia University, and several high-poverty public grade schools in New York City. SBMHC is grounded in attachment and mentalization theory and practice. It applies nested mentalization to multilevel work with all school stakeholders, encouraging school leaders, faculty, staff, and parents to use mentalization with children, many of whom have experienced trauma. Graduate students serve as classroom consultants (CC), spending a half day per week in the classroom observing, doing push-in interventions, co-teaching a social-emotional learning curriculum, coaching the teacher, and making referrals for children. CCs follow up on referrals and coordinate among parents, teachers, and off-site providers. The CCs in turn receive weekly didactics and reflective clinical supervision. SBMHC works with school leaders to assess the school’s social-emotional climate, identify unmet need for mental health services, and locate low-cost providers in the community. SBMHC is a promising model that aims to enhance social-emotional learning for all students while also identifying and referring symptomatic students. It thus combines universal and targeted approaches to serving high-risk students at low-resourced schools.

How Positive Behavioral Supports and Social-Emotional Curriculum Impact Student Learning

Many American students are subject to adverse effects of complex and chronic childhood trauma resulting in gaps within social-emotional competencies. This case-study research examined the impacts of one research- based proactive approach to student behaviour using Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), Second-Step Learning Curriculum, and staff trauma-informed/ACES training in one Midwest rural Kansas Elementary School. The over-arching research question was, What are the impacts of implementing Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) system, in conjunction with the Second Step Social-Emotional Learning Curriculum? Three sub-questions emerged: 1) What is the impact of PBIS and SEL Curriculum on disciplinary referrals? 2) How is PBIS/SEL affecting teaching/learning? and 3) How is PBIS/SEL affecting building climate/morale? Data collection and analysis included: Skyward-in-school/out-of-school suspensions; a Likert scale staff-questionnaire on PBIS and Social-Emotional Learning Curriculum (Second Step) implementation; staff open-ended questionnaire; principal interview and researchers’ critical reflections. Analysis of ODRs data from the academic years (2015-2018) indicate a decrease of in-school/out-of-school suspensions. Data collection received a 78.6% response rate. Results confirmed 93% of staff agree or strongly agree that students understand the Trailway Ticket System (Tier 1 PBIS intervention that reinforces positive student behaviors indicated on the building matrix), while 87% of staff agree or strongly agree they understand and consistently enforce the incentive/Tier 1 system. 74% of staff reported a positive school climate, and 60% reported strong/positive teacher morale. Findings suggest more resources for optimal program implementation to continue student success.

Supplemental Material for Two-Year Impact of a Universal Social-Emotional Learning Curriculum: Group Differences From Developmentally Sensitive Trends Over Time

Supplemental Material for Two-Year Impact of a Universal Social-Emotional Learning Curriculum: Group Differences From Developmentally Sensitive Trends Over Time

Using dialogic reading strategies to promote social-emotional skills for young students: An exploratory case study in an after-school program

As educators begin to understand the need for a social-emotional learning curriculum for young students, finding opportunities to implement a curriculum that supports students’ social-emotional development is important. Research supports that using shared reading opportunities that are common in young students’ in-school and out-of-school routines to embed social-emotional learning could have potential impact for young students’ social emotional as well as academic development. This article describes an exploratory mixed-methods case study that examines the use of dialogic book reading strategies in promoting social-emotional skills of young elementary students in an after-school program in the United States. A pre–post case study design was employed to examine preliminary social-emotional outcomes. In addition, parent interviews were conducted to explore the perceived benefits of the intervention in the home environment. The results suggest that dialogic reading may be a helpful strategy to promote young students’ social-emotional learning. The implications for research and practice are discussed.

Early Childhood Teachers' Perspectives on Social-Emotional Competence and Learning in Urban Classrooms

ABSTRACTThe promotion of social-emotional competence and implementation of social-emotional learning programs have increased substantially in schools; however, little is known about teachers' perceptions of such programs. This qualitative study explored early childhood (3 to 8 years old) teachers' perceptions of classroom-based social-emotional learning programs for young, urban-dwelling children. A focus of the study included learning what teachers believe were the critical components and challenges of such programs. Five themes emerged from the content analysis: responsibility, curricula/program design, contextual relevance, support, and barriers. The findings from this study are discussed with regard to educational policy implications about social-emotional learning curricula and programs, especially those implemented in urban schools.

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.