Social Emotional Learning Programs Research Articles

Improving School Readiness for a Social Emotional Learning Curriculum: Case Study of a School-Mental Health Agency Partnership

ABSTRACT This case study examined the first two years of adult preparation or “readiness” for an elementary school’s adoption and implementation of a trauma-informed, social emotional learning (SEL) universal curriculum. SEL programming served as a key lever for improving the academic growth and achievement of students over a 3-year period. The primary objective of the current study was to identify the process used to increase the school’s capacity for implementing and sustaining an SEL program. Study 1 examined the utility of a needs assessment conducted in year 1 as a measure of school readiness, which included a leadership questionnaire, observations of school/classroom climate, and focus groups with school community leaders and teachers. Results informed school strengths and key areas for improving capacity to support an SEL program, including indicators of positive climate, expertise-building among teachers and staff, aligning resources and disciplinary policies, and identifying SEL standards. This information guided the types of professional development implemented in year 2. Using artifact review and focus groups, study 2 examined whether the year 2 professional development assisted in improving the targeted school capacities. Most areas indicated improvement, and the changes are likely critical first steps for effectively implementing and sustaining an SEL program.

The role of teachers' commitment to implement in delivering evidence-based social-emotional learning programs

Although there are reasons to believe that teachers' commitment to learn and enact an evidence-based program (i.e., their commitment to implement) predicts their implementation fidelity, there is surprisingly little quantitative research testing this relationship. Using a national large-scale evaluation of three preschool social-emotional interventions, this study investigated how strongly teachers' commitment predicted implementation fidelity and whether commitment was a meaningful predictor of fidelity as compared to other individual factors (i.e., teacher stress at baseline) and contextual factors (i.e., collegial supports, classroom behavioral problems, and classroom quality at baseline). We surveyed 230 preschool teachers in their first year of implementing the interventions; data sources include surveys from teachers and 52 intervention coaches as well as classroom observational data. We found that teachers' baseline commitment consistently predicted implementation fidelity across time and that commitment predicted unique variation in fidelity after accounting for other individual and contextual factors. In addition, implementation fidelity had a moderate positive relationship with teachers' baseline classroom quality and a small negative association with baseline classroom behavior problems. Findings are discussed with respect to implementation science in education.

IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING ON AGGRESSION AND EMPATHY AMONG ADOLESCENTS

Adolescence is a challenging and dynamic period due to hormonal, physical, emotional, cognitive and social changes. Aggression in any form, if present or its manifestations is linked to various psychosocial maladjustments or mental disorders and is negatively associated with pro social behavior and adaptive social functioning, especially during adolescence. It may also be a red ag sign for development of mental disorders. It has been reported in many studies throughout the world that, aggressive behaviors are common in schools. One factor that buffers against aggression during adolescence is empathy. Emotional intelligence and empathy are considered key components of emotional education by developing young people's capacity to successfully cope with the pressures of life and demands of their stressful environment. Social-emotional learning (SEL) is one such interventional program that focuses on these issues and helps in improving empathy and decreasing aggression in adolescents. The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL, 2012) denes SEL as the process of acquiring the skills to recognize and manage emotions, develop caring and concern for others, make responsible decisions, establish positive relationships, and handle challenging situations effectively. Effective SEL programming begins in preschool and continues through high school. SEL improves student attitudes and beliefs about self, others, school and community. There is a growing awareness in the U.S. and European countries among educators and policymakers about the importance of social and emotional development for successful student performance. Also many studies and research on SELintervention in school curriculum has reported that that SELintervention has decreased anger, aggression and has improved empathy. In a way to sum up SELhelps in the holistic development of a student and prepares them to become responsible adults.

Equity in Social Emotional Learning Programs: A Content Analysis of Equitable Practices in PreK-5 SEL Programs

As the positive impact of social emotional learning (SEL) has become widely recognized, there is increasing demand for SEL programs to address the diverse cultures, identities, and experiences of all students in the classroom, in particular students of color and other youth impacted by structural inequality. SEL programs increasingly provide resources and guidance to ensure that diverse students are represented in materials and content and to help educators understand how culture plays a role in the development and expression of SEL competencies. However, few programs are intentionally designed with equity in mind and even fewer examine how historical and structural inequalities impact both the teaching and learning of SEL skills. While many believe that SEL is well-positioned to play a role in creating learning environments where students of all cultures, races, identities, and backgrounds feel safe, respected, and empowered, the link between equity and SEL is not always clear. Furthermore, despite existing well-established, research-grounded practices from which to draw in other fields, the field of SEL currently lacks a coherent and unified definition of what constitutes equitable SEL and what equitable SEL looks like in the classroom. As schools and other educational settings strive toward creating more equitable learning environments for students, the field of SEL needs a clearer viewpoint and explicit practices describing how equity can be better integrated into SEL programming and practice. This paper describes the need for equitable SEL, summarizes existing research and practices, and provides a set of recommendations for implementing them effectively in schools and other educational settings. We begin with a brief exploration of the relationship between educational equity and SEL, describing the potential for SEL to create more equitable, inclusive, and just learning environments. Next, we present key perspectives from the literature that shape current views on how issues of equity can be integrated into SEL programming and practice, proposing a set of principles and definition for equitable SEL. Finally, we discuss the current state of PreK-5 SEL programs, using findings from a content analysis to describe the extent to which programs address equity in lessons and promote transformative SEL skill building.

School bullying: consequences, risk and protective factors and successful school interventions worldwide.

Bullying and victimization in the school environment have been a major concern in recent years for students, parents, teachers and state authorities. The purpose of this article is to describe the multidimensional phenomenon and its short- and long-term social and emotional consequences on all parties, whether directly or indirectly involved, and to examine the risk and protective factors through Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, focusing on one of the main "systems", during adolescence, that of the school. The cultivation of social skills, coupled with a consistently positive school climate, are identified as key protective factors against bullying. In addition, two particularly successful approaches to preventing and tackling school bullying internationally are presented, namely social-emotional learning (SEL) and peer support programs. Social-emotional learning is based on the cultivation of social and emotional skills, while peer support capitalizes on the key role of “bystanders”. As evidenced by the existing literature, a significant number of meta-analyses have demonstrated the multiple benefits that result from the systematic implementation of social-emotional learning programs at all levels of education. Also, empirical research has shown that the proven success of peer support programs needs further documentation, as their diversity and complex structure require systematic and long-term implementation prior to their final evaluation.

Bidirectionality in behavioral regulation, emotional competence, and expressive vocabulary skills: Moderation by preschool social-emotional programs

This study sought to explore the bidirectional associations between children's behavioral regulation (BR), emotional competence (EC), and expressive vocabulary (EV) skills. We examined the bidirectional relations between children's BR, EC, and EV within the context of an impact study of three social-emotional learning (SEL) programs and whether the bidirectional relations are moderated by the SEL program implemented. The findings revealed bidirectionality between these developmental skills across the full sample (n = 2114). The moderation analysis suggests that Preschool PATHS and Incredible Years' programs had similar cross-lagged paths between EC and EV skills. No bidirectional relations were found among children in Tools of the Mind classrooms. The SEL programs' moderating effect speaks to the unique role that these programs can play in directly improving children's skills and supporting the dynamic nature of skills development. Therefore, preschool programs can consider implementing SEL programs to support children's language and social and emotional needs.

미술과와 연계한 학교차원의 사회정서학습 프로그램이 지적장애 초등학생의 수업참여도와 비장애학생의 정서지능에 미치는 영향

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a school-wide social emotional learning program integrated with art on the class participation of elementary school students with intellectual disabilities and the emotional intelligence of students without disabilities. The subjects were 31 students (three students with intellectual disabilities and 28 students without disabilities) from an elementary school located in Gyeonggi Province. The one-group pretest-posttest design was applied. The school-wide social emotional learning program integrated with art was organized with five elements of social emotional abilities: self-awareness, self-management, social recognition, personal relationship, and responsible decision making. A total of 28 students without disabilities evaluated the class participation of the three students with intellectual disabilities, in addition the emotional intelligence of students without disabilities was measured by a self-report instrument. Dependent samples t-test was implemented for analyzing the data. The research results were as follows. First, the class participation of the three students with intellectual disabilities was statistically improved significantly after they participated in the program. Second, there was no statistically significant difference between the pretest total scores and the posttest total scores of the emotional intelligence of the 28 students without disabilities. On the contrary, the subscale scores of their emotional expression and emotional utilization were statistically improved significantly after they participated in the program. Implications of this study as well as suggestions for future studies were discussed.

Social-Emotional Learning Amidst COVID-19 School Closures: Positive Findings from an Efficacy Study of Adventures Aboard the S.S. GRIN Program

School closures because of natural phenomena, such as COVID-19, have emphasized the importance of effective distance learning strategies when there are no in-person alternatives. Although infrequently mentioned in discussions of student performance, social-emotional skill building came to the forefront of conversations due to the isolation and stresses created by stay-at-home protocols. Our original research study describes the implementation of a game-based online social-emotional learning program during in-person learning and how we adapted implementation to distance learning due to COVID-19 based on schools’ infrastructure, preparations, and resource availability. In addition to the successful implementation, the results have indicated that the program was significantly and positively associated with gains in students’ social emotional skills.

SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING PROGRAM FOR BUILD RESPONSIBLE CHARACTER OF STUDENTS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

The aim of this research was describe Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Program for build responsible character of students in elementary school. The approach for this study was qualitative. The main method of this study was library research that supported with filed research. Library research that referred in this study was an activity to collected data, read, took notes, and processed the data that related with Social Emotional Program in Schools. It was obtained from books, journals, and articles. There are 5 main journals supported by 10 other. The researcher was collected the data from documents, research notes, and interviews. The interviewees are people who have direct contact with Social Emotional Program such as Head of Social Emotional Program Department, teachers, students and parents of Kharisma Bangsa Elementary School. This study used purposive sampling technique. The instruments of this research were document check list, notes, and interview guidelines. Data analysis was achieved through a content analysis technique. The result showed that Social Emotional Learning Program can build responsible character of students in elementary school. It can be obtained by growing social awareness, self-management, self-awareness, responsible decision making, and relationship skills after implementing Social Emotional Learning Program. The Social Emotional Learning Program was effective to build the responsibility by using some approaches there were Explicit SEL Instruction, Teacher Instructional, and Integrated with curriculum areas that supported by several strategies between PATH, RC, 4R’s, and RULER.

Um Compasso Para Aprender: A Randomized Trial of a Social-Emotional Learning Program in Homicide-Affected Communities in Brazil.

Despite global demand, the large-scale effects of social-emotional learning (SEL) programming in developing countries remain underexplored. Using a randomized control trial, this study examined the effectiveness of a school-wide SEL intervention-Programa Compasso (PC)-among 3,018 sociodemographically diverse, Portuguese-speaking children (Mage =9.85years) attending 90 public primary schools across Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2017. Average impacts of PC on children's executive function, emotion knowledge, and behavior problems after one school year were null. Moderation analyses did, however, reveal evidence for positive impacts of PC on children's labeling of emotional expressions and inhibitory control within low-homicide communities (d=0.15SDs), and null effects on these same outcomes in high-violence areas. Implementation and cultural considerations are discussed.

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.

Selected, Adopted and Implemented Social-Emotional Learning Program: the Kindness Curriculum for Kids

The aim of this manuscript is to introduce the program of social-emotional learning. Developed by the Centre for Healthy Minds (CHM) this program is called the Kindness Curriculum (CHM, 2017). Founded by the world renowned neuroscientist Dr. Richard J. Davidson, the Centre for Healthy Minds offers a kinder, wiser, more compassionate world. 
 Methodology. Qualitative research method was used in this study. The methods of documentary research, observation and interview were also applied. The Kindness Curriculum was employed as a documentary study. The target audience and the object of observation were primary school children aged 6 to 7, the teachers were interviewed. 
 Results. The mission of the centre is to cultivate kindness and relieve suffering through the scientific study of the mind. There are some social-emotional training programs, but the program developed by the centre is free. This program has been used by preschools and some researchers. The study involves the adaptation of the Kindness Curriculum to Turkish culture. The program contains twenty-four lessons in eight topics. These lessons include short stories, songs and entertaining games. The program can be conducted by one specialist both in preschool institutions and in primary classes. During the adaptation process, the program was translated into Turkish by two specialists and they controlled the entire translation process, which balanced the adaptation of the program by 80%. The benefits of the program for Turkish children have been studied by three psychologists. The program was used as a pilot research in the first grade of primary school.
 Conclusions. There are many positive results of the program application implemented by teachers. Schools are encouraged to add this program to their curriculum, and there is a need for more experimental research on the usefulness of the proposed program.

Evaluating the outcomes of "Resilient left-behind children" – A social-emotional learning and mindfulness group counseling program

International migration has a powerful impact on both the sending and receiving countries, especially for adults migrating for better working conditions and leaving family members, including children, behind. Increasing numbers of left-behind children in Romania (Save the Children Romania, 2019) require attention and support through specific policies and school-based programs. The purpose of this empirical study is to develop and assess a school-based prevention/intervention group counseling program for left-behind children. The program is based on previous social-emotional learning curricula and it incorporates mindfulness technics (Sibinga, Webb, Ghazarian, & Ellen, 2016). It is designed to increase resilience and self-regulatory abilities in children, thus improving their school adjustment in terms of emotional, social, behavioral and attitudinal outcomes. Using a sample of 62 children, aged 12-15 (M = 12.71, SD = .868), we conducted a quasi-randomized trial with a control and an intervention group to investigate the efficacy of the program. Children in the intervention group reported improved self-regulation and resilience and reduced loneliness and social dissatisfaction. Teachers reported significantly fewer emotional and behavioral difficulties for the children following the intervention. This study emphasizes the role of the evidence-based approach to counseling services in schools, by capitalizing on the latest findings in the field and addressing the specific needs of left-behind children.

Impact of MindUP on elementary school students’ classroom behaviors: A single-case design pilot study

ObjectivesMindUP is a mindfulness-based social-emotional learning program designed for implementation by teachers in school settings. The purpose of this pilot study is to examine whether MindUP can effectively improve the classroom conduct of students with behavioral challenges in general education classrooms. Study hypotheses are: after receiving the intervention, students will demonstrate (a) more frequent positive classroom behaviors including both active and passive on-task behaviors, and (b) less frequent negative classroom behaviors including both disruptive off-task behaviors and non-disruptive off-task behaviors. MethodsThis study used a single-case design (A-B design). Primary data collection was conducted through direct behavioral observation of 11 5th-grade students in their natural classroom environment. Treatment outcomes included positive classroom behaviors (active on-task behaviors and passive on-task behaviors) and negative classroom behaviors (disruptive off-task behaviors and non-disruptive off-task behaviors). Visual analysis, percentage of non-overlapping data analysis, and multilevel analysis were conducted to examine treatment effects. ResultsAnalyses results consistently showed changes in passive on-task behaviors and non-disruptive off-task behaviors in the expected direction—an increase in passive on-task behaviors and a decrease in non-disruptive off-task behaviors. However, contrary to the hypothesis, active on-task behaviors decreased during the intervention and follow-up phases. No significant changes in disruptive off-task behaviors were found. ConclusionsMindUP showed promise in effectively increasing elementary school students’ passive on-task behaviors and decreasing non-disruptive off-task behaviors. However, it demonstrated an unexpected effect on active on-task behaviors and no effect on disruptive off-task behaviors. Implications for practice and future research are provided.

“It’s because of community meeting:” toward a responsive reconceptualization of social emotional learning

ABSTRACT Exclusionary discipline disproportionally impacts low-income students of Color. Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) offers a promising framework for reducing the use of suspensions in school. Prominent SEL literature and praxis, however, seem to assume a colorblind stance that neglects to respond to the sociocultural and political realities low-income students of Color experience. This action research inquiry evaluates the impact of an SEL program implemented in the third grade of a low-income, urban school serving children of Color. Students and teachers co-created a program grounded in critical and culturally relevant pedagogies, Black ethic of care, Freirean radical love, and restorative justice practices. This inquiry offers policy implications that might enable educators to further expand the development and enactment of similar responsive SEL programs.

Investigating the Psychometric Properties of the Social-Emotional Learning Scale

Educators and educational support staff are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of systematic efforts to support students’ social and emotional growth. Logically, the success of social-emotional learning programs depends upon the ability of educators to assess student’s ability to process and utilize social-emotional information and use data to guide programmatic revisions. Therefore, the purpose of the current examination was to provide evidence of the structural validity of the Social-Emotional Learning Scale (SELS), a freely available measure of social-emotional learning, within Grades 6 to 12. Students ( N = 289, 48% female, 43.35% male, 61% Caucasian) completed the SELS and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analyses of the SELS failed to support a multidimensional factor structure identified in prior investigations. The results of an exploratory factor analysis suggest a reduced 16-item version of the SELS captures a unidimensional social-emotional construct. Furthermore, our results provide evidence of the internal consistency and concurrent validity of the reduced-length version of the instrument. Our discussion highlights the implications of the findings to social and emotional learning educational efforts and promoting evidence-based practice.

Exploring Children’s Perceptions of an After-School Canine-Assisted Social and Emotional Learning Program: A Case Study

ABSTRACT This study explored children’s perceptions of a canine-assisted social-emotional learning program developed within the framework of a canine therapy program at a mid-sized Canadian university. Data collection made use of interviews, field notes, and observations. Children (N = 8, 5 – 11 years) from an after-school program participated in a six-week intervention after which participants were interviewed about their experiences in the program, their learning of social and emotional competencies, and the role of the therapy dogs in facilitating their socioemotional development. Using conventional content analysis, salient themes reflecting participants’ experiences were identified. A within-case analysis was conducted followed by a cross-case analysis to identify what participants collectively saw as important. Salient themes to emerge through cross-case analysis were: 1) the dogs were meaningful and essential to the program, 2) it was an enjoyable and positive experience, and 3) participants reported evidence of social-emotional learnings. Evidence from this study suggests that the therapy dogs might have provided behavioral and emotional support. Findings suggest that integrating therapy dogs into social and emotional learning initiatives can provide unique advantages and improve children’s engagement and learning of social and emotional skills. Findings are discussed within the context of human-animal interactions and social and emotional education.

초등학생 대상 마음챙김 기반 사회정서학습 프로그램의 효과 분석 연구

이 연구는 마음챙김 기반 사회정서학습 프로그램(Mindfulness Based Social-Emotional Learning Program, MBSEL)이 초등학교 고학년 학생의 사회정서적 역량 향상에 어떠한 효과가 있는지를 분석한 연구이다. 이를 위해 초등학교 5학년 42명을 대상으로, 실험집단과 교육 여건에 차이가 있는 비교집단을 구성하여, 실험집단에 주 3회 20분씩 13주 동안 MBSEL을 적용하였고 비교집단은 독서 활동을 적용했다. 사회정서적 역량을 측정하기 위한 측정 도구를 ‘자기 인식, 자기 조절, 사회적 인식, 자기 효능감과 사회적 조화의 균형’으로 구성하였고, 반복측정 분산분석을 통해 사전-사후-추후 검사를 비교 분석하였다. 집단 간의 사회정서적 역량을 비교 분석한 결과에 따르면, 실험집단의 사후-추후 검사 평균값이 비교집단과 유사한 수준으로 상승하거나 통계적으로 유의미하게 높게 나타났다. 이러한 연구 결과는 MBSEL이 초등학교 고학년 학생의 사회정서적 역량을 향상하는데 유용한 방법이 될 수 있으며, 교육 여건에 따른 사회정서적 역량 차이 해소에 이바지할 수 있음을 시사한다.

Reducing Adolescent Psychopathology in Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Children With a Preschool Intervention: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Living in poverty increases exposure to adversities that undermine healthy development, impeding growth in the social-emotional and language skills that support adaptive coping and promote mental health. Evidence-based programs have the potential to improve current preschool practice and strengthen these early skills, potentially reducing risk for later psychopathology. The authors tested the hypothesis that an enrichment program in preschool would be associated with reduced levels of psychopathology symptoms at the transition from middle to secondary school. The Head Start REDI (Research-Based, Developmentally Informed) intervention was used to enrich preschool classrooms serving children from low-income families with an evidence-based social-emotional learning (SEL) program and a coordinated interactive reading program. Centers were randomly assigned to the intervention or usual practice, and 356 4-year-olds (58% White, 25% Black, 17% Latino; 54% female) were followed into early adolescence. Hierarchical linear models were used to evaluate intervention effects on teacher-rated psychopathology symptoms using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire in grade 7 (ages 12-13) and grade 9 (ages 14-15), 8-10 years after the end of the intervention. Statistically significant intervention-related reductions were observed in conduct problems and emotional symptoms in the intervention group. In addition, the proportion of youths with clinically significant levels of conduct problems, emotional symptoms, and peer problems was reduced in the intervention group, with rates one-third of those in the control group. The study findings indicate that enriching preschool programs serving at-risk children with a relatively inexpensive evidence-based SEL program with interactive reading substantially improved the later benefits for adolescent emotional and behavioral health. This kind of SEL enrichment represents an approach that can leverage public investments in preschool programs to enhance public health.

Social-Emotional Learning in a Time of Chaos

Over the last generation public schools in the United States have strongly emphasized student achievement as measured by standardized tests. In this paper the role Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) can play in improving student success is emphasized. Research on SEL has shown that student achievement is positively affected by SEL programming. Yet, an argument continues over how the limited time in the classroom is used. As the world faces a pandemic during which students are often not attending school in person, their social-emotional health is of increased concern.