Social Emotional Learning Programs Research Articles

A Social Gradient in the Effects of the Skills for Life Program on Self-Efficacy and Mental Wellbeing of Adolescent Students.

The goal of the current study was to evaluate the effects of the Social Emotional Learning program Skills 4 Life on mental health and its risk factors self-esteem, self-efficacy, and social interaction skills in students of secondary schools. A cluster randomized controlled study was conducted, including 38 schools (66 classes; grades 7 to 9) for secondary education, with a 1 year and 20 months follow-up (teachers and students reports). The intervention was effective in improving self-efficacy, depressive symptoms, and teacher-reported psychological problem behavior, all after 20 months. Stratified analyses showed effects in mainly lower educational level students. The Skills 4 Life curriculum is effective in improving the mental health and self-efficacy among adolescents, especially for adolescents from lower educational level, a group that is most prone to ill mental health.

A Cluster Randomized-Controlled Trial of the MindOut Social and Emotional Learning Program for Disadvantaged Post-Primary School Students.

School-based social and emotional learning programs aim to provide students with the skills they need to deal with life challenges, thereby enhancing their social and emotional wellbeing, academic outcomes, and reducing their risk of mental health difficulties. While there is a robust evidence base on the effectiveness of these programs originating from the US, there is a relative paucity of research on how these programs impact young people in other county contexts, especially for older adolescents and those at higher risk. This study sets out to address this research gap by evaluating the effectiveness of a social emotional learning program designed for older adolescents in Ireland, the MindOut program. MindOut is a universal school-based social and emotional learning program designed for older adolescents in Ireland which was developed based on a common elements approach underpinned by CASEL's framework. Employing a cluster randomized-controlled trial, data on social and emotional skills, academic performance and mental health outcomes were collected from students (n = 497; 51.1% female) ages 15-18 years in 32 disadvantaged schools. There were significant improvements in intervention students' social and emotional skills including, reduced suppression of emotions (p = 0.035), use of more positive coping strategies [reduced avoidance coping p = < 0.001) and increased social support coping p = 0.044)]. Improvements in mental health and wellbeing were also found with significantly reduced levels of stress (p = 0.017) and depressive symptoms (p = 0.030) as well as reduced anxiety scores for females students (p = 0.044). These short-term evaluation findings support the positive impact of school-based social and emotional learning programs, such as MindOut, when designed to be both age and culturally appropriate and delivered to older adolescents in disadvantaged schools.

The Development of Social Emotional Learning Programmes in a Cross-Cultural Elementary Classroom

The purpose of this study was to develop an intervention to improve the SEL skills of learners in a cross-cultural school context. The study involved the development and trial of an intervention program designed to develop social emotional skills. Participants were 30 Thai learners as well as six learners from Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos in a socio-economic and culturally diverse classroom. Prior to participation, the 36 students completed the SDQ. The SDQ was also completed by parents/guardians and teachers of the 36 students. The intervention lasted 15 weeks and structured learning blended with nine multimedia social stories along with various activities. The results are presented as pre-post for the whole group which was statistically significant, meaning that the intervention was effective in improving the social skills.

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).

Unintended lessons of SEL programs

A mixed-methods study of a large social-emotional learning (SEL) program revealed notable disparities in the ways that teachers and students perceived the program’s impact. Teachers believed the initiative empowered students, while the students themselves described the program as one that emphasized compliance. Madora Soutter summarizes her findings and offers three recommendations for teachers and administrators implementing social and emotional learning initiatives: Evaluate the intention behind SEL programming to avoid a deficit mindset; anticipate implementation roadblocks, such as the tension between some SEL programs and the inherent power dynamics in schools; and actively, authentically listen to students.

Re-imagining social-emotional learning: Findings from a strategy-based approach

Many schools and out-of-school organizations use social-emotional learning (SEL) programs to boost students’ skills. Yet research shows that these programs can be difficult to implement and don’t always meet students’ needs. In response, Rebecca Bailey, Laura Stickle, Gretchen Brion-Meisels, and Stephanie Jones propose a new approach to SEL premised on three big ideas: SEL should be framed around a developmental model designed to target specific, age-appropriate skills; a flexible strategy-based approach may increase the feasibility of SEL implementation and school-wide consistency; and SEL is most effective when teachers are encouraged to implement and adapt strategies that meet their students’ needs and reflect their experiences. The authors describe how such a program was implemented in a preK-8 summer program.

Classifying Changes to Preventive Interventions: Applying Adaptation Taxonomies.

High-quality implementation is important for preventive intervention effectiveness. Although this implies fidelity to a practice model, some adaptation may be inevitable or even advantageous in routine practice settings. In order to organize the study of adaptation and its effect on intervention outcomes, scholars have proposed various adaptation taxonomies. This paper examines how four published taxonomies retrospectively classify adaptations: the Ecological Validity Framework (EVF; Bernal et al. in J Abnorm Child Psychol 23(1):67-82, 1995), the Hybrid Prevention Program Model (HPPM; Castro et al. in Prev Sci 5(1):41-45, 2004. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:PREV.0000013980.12412.cd ), the Moore et al. (J Prim Prev 34(3):147-161, 2013. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10935-013-0303-6 ) taxonomy, and the Stirman et al. (Implement Sci 8:65, 2013. https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-8-65 ) taxonomy. We used these taxonomies to classify teacher-reported adaptations made during the implementation of TOOLBOX™, a social emotional learning program implemented in 11 elementary schools during the 2014-2015 academic year. Post-implementation, 271 teachers and staff responded to an online survey that included questions about adaptation, yielding 98 adaptation descriptions provided by 42 respondents. Four raters used each taxonomy to try to classify these descriptions. We assessed the extent to which raters agreed they could classify the descriptions using each taxonomy (coverage), as well as the extent to which raters agreed on the subcategory they assigned (clarity). Results indicated variance among taxonomies, and tensions between the ideals of coverage and clarity emerged. Further studies of adaptation taxonomies as coding instruments may improve their performance, helping scholars more consistently assess adaptations and their effects on preventive intervention outcomes.

The Relation of Perspective-Taking to Gratitude and Envy Among Guatemalan Adolescents

The social emotions gratitude and envy are central to the lives of Guatemalan youth and to their society more broadly. Perspective-taking, the social–cognitive process that allows one to assume another’s point of view, may affect both the experience and expression of gratitude and envy. In this convergent mixed-methods study, perspective-taking was studied in relation to gratitude and envy. Sixty-four Guatemalan adolescents, ages 12–17 ( Mage = 13.52 years, SD = 3.66, 53.1% girls), completed scales measuring gratitude, envy, and perspective-taking. For the qualitative portion, they read one gratitude and one envy vignette and completed a series of open-ended questions about the story characters. Two multiple regression analyses revealed that better perspective-takers were more grateful and less envious. Thematic analysis of the open-ended responses uncovered seven levels of perspective-taking. Complex perspective-taking was revealed when adolescents inferred the perspective of both story characters, created positive social outcomes even in situations of envy, and inferred consequences of the interactions. These findings imply that promoting perspective-taking may be one way to decrease envy and promote gratitude in this majority world cultural context. The findings from this study may inform the creation of culturally sensitive social-emotional learning programs that promote well-being through positive interpersonal relationships.

The Core Components of Evidence-Based Social Emotional Learning Programs.

Implementing social emotional learning (SEL) programs in school settings is a promising approach to promote critical social and emotional competencies for all students. However, there are several challenges to implementing manualized SEL programs in schools, including program cost, competing demands, and content that is predetermined and cannot be tailored to individual classroom needs. Identifying core components of evidence-based SEL programs may make it possible to develop more feasible approaches to implementing SEL in schools. The purpose of this study was to systematically identify the core components in evidence-based elementary school SEL programs, using the five interrelated sets of competencies identified by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) as an organizing framework. We present the components that were identified, and the rates at which each component was included in the sample of evidence-based SEL programs. The core components that occurred most frequently across programs were Social Skills (100% of programs), Identifying Others' Feelings (100% of programs), Identifying One's Own Feelings (92.3% of programs), and Behavioral Coping Skills/Relaxation (91.7% of programs). These findings illustrate the feasibility of systematically identifying core components from evidence-based SEL programs and suggest potential utility of developing and evaluating modularized SEL programs.

Alleviating Anxiety and Altering Appraisals: Social-Emotional Learning in the College Classroom

Most college students experience stress and an increasing number also experience anxiety. This stress and anxiety has negative impacts on academic performance, as well as psychological well-being. In the K–12 setting, social-emotional learning (SEL) interventions have been consistently associated with improvements in outcomes related to stress and anxiety. However, little to no research has been conducted on effective ways for college instructors to help students in this area utilizing SEL. We developed a semester-long SEL program as an easy-to-implement and scientifically driven program to address this striking void. In statistics courses at two separate institutions (N = 46), students completed weekly activities that fostered SEL-based skills and mindsets conducive to alleviating anxiety and appraising stressors in a productive manner. In our exploratory analyses, we empirically assessed the efficacy of our program utilizing a number of pre- and post- measures, including stress appraisal and various dimensions of anxiety. Significant improvements were noted in students’ ability to appraise stressors as positive challenges, rather than threats. Noteworthy improvements were also seen in students’ ability to recognize the resources available to help them cope with stressors, as well as decreases in math anxiety. These preliminary findings demonstrate that SEL programs implemented in a college setting have the potential to impact students’ psychological well-being and, in turn, their academics.

Social-emotional learning through a drumming intervention

The growth of social and emotional competence is considered a developmental goal of childhood and adolescence. While early caregiving and family environment are key to children’s wellbeing and developmental trajectories, social-emotional learning (SEL) interventions may reduce young people’s vulnerability to internalising and externalising problem behaviours if family or environment factors present some risk. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the SEL program DRUMBEAT (Discovering Relationships Using Music, Beliefs, Emotions, Attitudes and Thoughts), a 10-week school-based intervention. Students who took part in the DRUMBEAT program (N = 75, 64% male, 59% Primary School, 18% Indigenous) across six Australian schools, and their teachers, completed pre and post measures of Self-Esteem and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Linear mixed model analyses showed there were significant improvements in students’ self-esteem, and internalising and externalising behaviours, as reported by students and teachers. Drumming has the potential to draw young people into an educative environment where rhythm, collaboration and discussion can enhance understanding of intra- and interpersonal processes.

A systematic review of the Second Step program

This article presents findings from a meta-analysis of 24 primary research studies on the Second Step social emotional learning program. Program content knowledge, outcomes related to prosociality, and outcomes related to antisociality are examined as outcome categories in randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental studies and, separately, single-group repeated measures design studies. Students participating in Second Step demonstrated increased knowledge of program content and increased prosocial outcomes. Participation in the program was not associated with significant changes in antisocial outcomes. Evidence suggests the possibility of publication bias in studies reporting knowledge outcomes but no evidence of publication bias in studies reporting prosocial and antisocial outcomes. This study complements broader meta-analyses on SEL programs and aims to inform local decision making by providing an estimate of the overall effects of the Second Step program on a variety of student outcomes.

International adoption of the Second Step program: Moderating variables in treatment effects

Second Step is a universal social-emotional learning program designed to decrease antisocial behaviors, increase prosocial behaviors, and increase knowledge about content curriculum. Given the international focus of using Second Step to improve social-emotional skills, it is especially important to provide an updated synthesis on the effect of the intervention. A single-program meta-analysis was completed in order to determine effects of participating in Second Step and to explore moderators of program effectiveness on prosocial and antisocial behavior outcomes as well as knowledge of emotions. Five moderators were explored, including (a) program saturation, (b) dependent variable source, (c) grade range, (d) metro area, and (e) geographical location. A combined total of 18,847 participants were included in the analysis of 27 studies. Results of the current study indicate that Second Step’s impact on students’ knowledge and attitudes of violence and violence prevention is much stronger than on increasing prosocial behavior or reducing antisocial behavior.

Innovations in Practice: Dialectical behaviour therapy - skills training for emotional problem solving for adolescents (DBT STEPS-A): evaluation of a pilot implementation in Irish post-primary schools.

Whole school approaches to mental health are recommended where schools and community partners work together to support positive mental health for young people. Universal interventions which adopt this approach are limited however. This study evaluates the pilot implementation of DBT STEPS-A, a social-emotional learning programme for adolescents, in Ireland. Data were collected at the beginning and end of the academic year from students who participated in DBT STEPS-A and a control group. Amatched comparison was conducted where a subset of the data was analysed consisting of 72 adolescents aged 15-16years from two schools in the south of Ireland. Outcomes included emotion symptoms, dysfunctional coping and DBT skill use. Linear mixed-effects models were used to estimate the treatment effect (intervention vs. control). A statistically significant treatment effect was observed on two of four outcome measures (emotion symptom index: p=0.011; internalising problems: p=0.012). The effect sizes were large (Cohen's F squared=0.65 and 0.83 respectively). Significant reductions on measures which assess constructs including depression, anxiety and social stress were found for the intervention group. The results suggest that DBT STEPS-A may yield positive effects for adolescents who complete the intervention. Feedback from adolescents and teachers suggests that refinement of content, structure and implementation may make the programme more accessible to an adolescent population.

Effectiveness of a Mindfulness-Based Social–Emotional Learning Program on Psychosocial Adjustment and Neuropsychological Maturity in Kindergarten Children

The aim of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based social–emotional learning program (MindKinder) on the psychosocial adjustment and neuropsychological development of kindergarten children. The experimental cohort comprised 74 kindergarten children, a cohort obtained through an incidental non-probability sampling method or by accessibility. The children were randomly assigned to control (n = 26; 35.14%) or experimental groups (n = 48; 65.86%). The age of children ranged from 4 to 6 years (M = 5.08, SD = .37). The study followed a quasi-experimental design with repeated pre-test, post-test, and follow-up (after 6 months) measurements with a control group. The MindKinder program was implemented during school time. Results confirmed that the program produced a significant improvement in the psychosocial adjustment and neuropsychological variables in the experimental group. Results showed a significant reduction in the scores of some global maladaptive dimensions among the experimental group: behavioral symptoms index and externalized and academic problems. Likewise, the results show a significant increase in the scores for the experimental group in the dimensions of global development, non-verbal development, visual perception, and attention. Our findings suggest that mindfulness programs may be effective in promoting psychosocial adjustment and improving neuropsychological variables in young children. Implications are discussed, and recommendations are made for future research.

The power of peer influence to address student behavioral problems

As children reach adolescence, peer groups gain special power to influence their behavior, and young people tend to adapt their behavior to fit group norms. When students engage in bullying, alcohol and drug abuse, and other behavior, those in their peer group are more likely to engage in those behaviors as well. The authors sought to evaluate whether having students engage in peer learning through interdependent cooperative groups might disrupt this tendency. Middle school teachers were trained in using peer learning to teach their regular curriculum, and after one year, students showed more positive and less negative behavior than those in control schools that did not implement peer learning. The effect was also larger than has been reported for traditional prevention and social-emotional learning programs.

Restorative practices and the integration of social emotional learning as a path to positive school climates

Purpose An understanding of the effects of zero tolerance policies in schools has resulted in rethinking of approaches to prevent conflict and creating a healthy school climate. Restorative practices (RP) have been looked to as an alternative to zero tolerance policies. At the same time, social emotional learning (SEL) programming has been implemented to provide students with the skills to communicate and build relationships with peers. The purpose of this paper is to provide a look at the historical context shaping the development of RP, and explore connections between RP and SEL. Considerations for implementation and conceptual models for implementing RP are also discussed. Design/methodology/approach Informed by education policy analysis methods, this essay places RP in their broader context, explores RP and considers such practices important to study due to the unintended effects stemming from “traditional” obedience-oriented punitive approaches to school discipline (American Psychological Association Zero Tolerance Task Force, 2008; O’Malley and Austin, 2014). Findings Based on the analysis of current research, the authors explain that when RP are implemented with SEL programming, it is an opportunity for educational practitioners to address issues around race, gender, disability, and other aspects of diversity. By integrating these approaches together, RP become a vehicle to develop students’ SEL skills, which includes communication skills, kindness, empathy, and caring. Research limitations/implications An understanding of how zero tolerance policies have played out in the school setting has resulted in rethinking of current approaches to preventing conflict. Subsequently, educational leaders and professional associations have led a shift toward alternative models and practices in school discipline. Practical implications District, state, and federal policymakers have pressed for more constructive alternatives that foster a productive and healthy instructional climate without depriving large numbers of students the opportunity to learn (Skiba and Losen, 2016, p. 4). These approaches include RP, as well as integrating SEL into school practices and the curriculum. Social implications Several challenges and opportunities lie ahead. Based on the firsthand work with schools and districts implementing restorative and SEL practices, as well as the knowledge and insights gained from this analysis of research, one important need to consider is the need to integrate school disciplinary practices, including RP, into the school context and existing structures. Originality/value By conducting this study of the research evidence on RP, the authors were able to gain insights into questions, including: How have school practitioners applied RP as an alternative to zero tolerance policies?

SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING FOR PROMOTING INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

Social emotional learning (SEL) is quickly becoming a cornerstone in the world of education in present scenario and inclusion of those with special needs is becoming more important. Inclusive education provides new opportunities and challenges for creating effective and conducive learning environment. In order to facilitate the success of inclusion as an approach, it is necessary that students and their teachers develop the skills to understand eachother, communicate effectively and work togetherin more conducive environment. Social emotional learning in defined to involve programs and strategies by which individuals learn to understand intrapersonal and interpersonal feelings, communicate and resolve conflicts efficiently and effectively;respect each other and develop healthy mutual relationship.SEL skills play a crucial role for children who are differently abledor to those who are not, for their social,emotional, cognitive, physical and spiritual development. SEL has the potential to enhance children academic, social, and relational outcomes. Moreover, teachers have also demonstrated positive outcome that use approaches and strategies related to social emotional learning (SEL). The present paper is an attempt to value the significance of SEL programs in inclusive classrooms/environment so that students as well as teachers understand and express their emotions in a healthy way, promotes empathy and acceptance for others. Besides developing SELskills, inclusive education also help to enrich academic skills and Improves Academic Outcomes Keywords: Social emotional learning and Inclusive education.

Depressive adolescents at risk of social exclusion: The potentials of social-emotional learning in schools

Depressive adolescents are a challenging and vulnerable group in schools. Specific developmental features such as irritability and comorbid behavioural disorders complicate the recognition of their emotional problems for peers, teachers and even parents. Our research shows that teachers tend to overlook depressive feelings in adolescents; however, even peers are not able to recognize depressive feelings appropriately. Emotional problems can result in underachievement, the inability to learn and problems building satisfactory interpersonal relationships. Our review of research findings detects a complex interplay between social dynamics of exclusion and depression. Educational intervention and prevention efforts with respect to evidence-based social-emotional learning (SEL) programmes are summarized. It can be concluded that the implementation of systematic SEL concepts in schools has the potential to recognize depression-related problems early, to prevent exclusion and to reduce the burden of depressive disorders.

At what cost? Examining the cost effectiveness of a universal social-emotional learning program.

Although implementation of universal social-emotional learning programs is becoming more common in schools, few studies have examined the cost-effectiveness of such programs. As such, the purpose of this article is two fold. First, we provide an overview of cost-effectiveness methods for school-based programs, and second, we share results of a cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) of a universal social-emotional learning (SEL) program, the Social Skills Improvement System-Classwide Intervention Program (SSIS-CIP; Elliott & Gresham, 2007). Specifically, we compared the cost-effectiveness of SSIS-CIP implementation across first- and second-grade classrooms, and results indicated that second grade is the more cost-effective option for implementing the SSIS-CIP. Several considerations are discussed regarding cost-effectiveness analysis of universal SEL programs as well as the importance of using CEA results to inform programming decisions. (PsycINFO Database Record