Social and Emotional Learning and Teacher–Student Relationships: Preschool Teachers’ and Students’ Perceptions

The study aimed to investigate how teachers’ perceptions of emotional intelligence, and social and emotional learning (SEL) relate to teacher–student relationships. Teachers’ perceptions of teacher–student relationships and the degree of agreement with students’ perceptions was also investigated. Preschool teachers from 92 public schools in central Greece completed the Self-Rated Emotional Intelligence Scale, the Teacher SEL Beliefs Scale, and the Student–Teacher Relationships Scale-Short Form for 238 students aged 5–6 years old. 170 students were interviewed using the Young Children’s Appraisal of Teacher Support. Regression analysis revealed that both teachers and students emphasized the role of teachers’ perceptions of SEL in positive teacher–student relationships. However, there was no agreement between teachers and students regarding teacher–student relationships. These findings and their implications for research and practice are discussed.     

From Dodge City to Emerald City: The Importance of Joseph E. Zins' Work in Teacher Education Programs: A Commentary on “The Scientific Base Linking Social and Emotional Learning to School Success,” a chapter by Joseph E. Zins,Michelle R. Bloodworth,Roger P. Weissberg,and Herbert J. Walberg

This commentary argues that Joseph Zins' work can contribute and enhance university-based teacher preparation programs. Focusing on secondary English Education, it examines how SEL competencies can improve the curricula and field experiences to support pre-service teachers.     

Empirical Evidence of Social and Emotional Learning's Influence on School Success: A Commentary on “Building Academic Success on Social and Emotional Learning: What Does the Research Say?,” a book edited by Joseph E. Zins,Roger P. Weissberg,Margaret C. Wang,and Herbert J. Walberg

In Building Academic Success on Social and Emotional Learning: What does the Research Say? Zins and his colleagues presented a new way to conceptualize the impact of social and emotional learning programs on students' school success by broadening the concept to include students' attitudes, behaviors, and performance. To build on Zins' ideas, we (a) briefly review research examining the impact of 262 social and emotional learning (SEL) programs on a number of outcomes that assessed school attitudes, behaviors, and performance; and (b) suggest additional avenues for research of SEL interventions.     

Can Explicit Instruction in Social and Emotional Learning Skills Benefit the Social-Emotional Development, Well-being, and Academic Achievement of Young Children?

This study investigated the effect of a social and emotional learning skills curriculum, the You Can Do It! Early Childhood Education Program (YCDI), on the social-emotional development, well-being, and academic achievement of 99 preparatory and grade 1 students attending a Catholic school in Melbourne, Australia. One preparatory and one grade 1 class were randomly chosen to receive structured lessons in YCDI, delivered by their classroom teachers over a period of 10 weeks, while the remaining preparatory and grade 1 class served as the control group. The lessons were designed to teach young children confidence, persistence, organisation and emotional resilience. The educational program consisted of explicit, direct instruction lessons drawn from the YCDI Early Childhood Curriculum taught three times a week, supported by a variety of additional social and emotional teaching practices. The results indicated that YCDI had a statistically significant positive effect on levels of social-emotional competence and well-being for the preparatory and grade 1 students, a reduction in problem behaviours (externalising, internalising, and hyperactivity problems) for the grade 1 students, and an increase in reading achievement (decoding text) for the lower achieving grade 1 students. These findings are discussed with regard to issues concerning the role of explicit instruction in social and emotional learning for the early years.     

Teachers’ Emotional and Behavioral Support and Preschoolers’ Self-Regulation: Relations With Social and Emotional Skills During Play

Research Findings: Drawing from a Dutch sample of 113 Dutch children (M age = 37 months, SD = 3.5) from 37 early care and education classrooms (19 child care centers and 18 preschools), this study examined whether the relation between classroom emotional and behavioral support and children’s observed social integration and positive mood in a play situation depends on children’s observed behavioral self-regulation. Multilevel analyses revealed a positive association between emotional and behavioral support and children’s social integration for children low on behavioral self-regulation, but there was no such association for children high on behavioral self-regulation. Contrary to our expectations, children low on behavioral self-regulation showed more integration in the case of relatively highly supportive classrooms but not less integration in classrooms that were low in support. For children’s positive mood, a positive association with emotional and behavioral support was found, and no association was found with behavioral self-regulation. Practice or Policy: This study’s findings highlight the importance of emotionally and behaviorally supportive classroom experiences for young children’s social and emotional skills. Moreover, results hint that experts should perhaps not see children low in behavioral self-regulation as always at risk for poorer social outcomes.     

A Meta-analysis of the Impact of Social and Emotional Learning Interventions on Teachers’ Burnout Symptoms

Educational Psychology Review - Over the last decades, extensive research has given considerable attention to teachers’ burnout. Owing to its negative personal, organizational, and social...     

Special Education Teachers’ Self-Efficacy in Implementing Social–Emotional Learning to Support Students with Learning Disabilities

This study was designed to determine how special education teachers (SETs) in Saudi Arabia perceive their self-efficacy in implementing social–emotional learning (SEL) practices to support students with learning disabilities (LD). The data were collected by surveying 109 SETs of students with LD who teach at elementary and middle schools in Riyadh. The findings demonstrate that SETs had low to moderate self-efficacy in putting SEL into practice, and the participants highlighted the importance of receiving support that can enhance their self-efficacy in SEL. Moreover, the study's findings show some statistically significant variations in the responses of the teachers, as those who attended more professional development programs reported higher levels of self-efficacy. Additionally, middle school teachers and teachers with fewer years of experience showed a higher need for receiving support to enhance their implementation of SEL. Recommendations for future studies and practices are provided.     

Character,Social–Emotional,and Academic Outcomes Among Underachieving Elementary School Students

Students with persistent disruptive behavior problems lose valuable time in academic lessons, are a distraction for classmates, and cause stress for teachers. Recent meta-analyses indicate that 87% to 92% of published studies on school-based interventions targeting student problem behaviors report results from demonstration projects (involving highly trained staff under ideal circumstances) rather than routine practice programs. This study investigates the routine use of a schoolwide classroom management program and its relationship to elementary students’ social and academic outcomes. Three years after training in the classroom management program, 56 second-, third-, and fourth-grade teachers in an urban school district were assessed for fidelity to the program. Program fidelity was determined via direct observation in the classroom and validated by teacher self-ratings of fidelity and administrator ratings of teacher fidelity. Dependent variables included student engagement during academic lessons, out-of-school suspension rates, and report card grades. Results indicated that high program fidelity was significantly related to greater academic engagement and fewer suspensions, but not higher report card grades. This study adds to the scant literature on implementation fidelity of routine programs with high-risk populations.     

Individual Development Plans in the Swedish Comprehensive School: Supporting High Quality Learning and Equity,or Rote Learning and Social Reproduction?

In Swedish compulsory school, individual development plans (IDPs) are mandatory for all students up to 6th grade. The purpose is to summarize and facilitate pupils’ learning and tune instruction to national standards. In this study, 233 IDPs drawn up for 5th grade pupils were analyzed with focus on qualities that have been found to impact students’ learning and learner identities. The results show that the IDPs rarely display the qualities that would make them effective as tools for enhancing students’ learning, and that there is a gender difference in the quality of the documents, as well as differences regarding the pupils’ academic background.     

Teachers’ Emotion Minimizing Language and Toddlers’ Social Emotional Competence

Teachers in toddler classrooms are important agents of emotion socialization. The current study examined teachers’ use of emotion minimizing language in toddler classrooms and toddlers’ social emotional competence. Teachers’ emotion minimizing language is described as language that purposefully distances them from a child’s emotions and discourages children’s expression of their emotions. Research Findings: Results indicate a negative relationship between teachers’ emotion minimizing language and toddlers’ social emotional competence when program quality, child age, and child gender are controlled. Practice or Policy: Implications relevant to teacher preparation programs and professional development are discussed, with a primary focus on the methods by which teachers are trained to use language to respond to young children’s emotions.     

Teachers’ Emotional Competence and Social Support: Assessing the Mediating Role of Teacher Burnout

This study explored the relationships among teachers’ emotional competence, burnout as a mediator, and social support. Teachers’ emotional competence was assessed via measures of emotional intensity and emotional regulation. Social support was evaluated in terms of external versus internal support, and teacher dissatisfaction with support received. Participants were 149 Italian primary school teachers. Data were analysed using structural equation modelling. The findings suggested that teacher burnout partially mediated the relationship between emotional intensity and satisfaction with social support received. Overall, the results showed that teachers were at risk of highly intense unpleasant emotions in relation to their burnout syndrome. Moreover, teachers’ satisfaction/dissatisfaction with social support received was predicted by burnout symptoms. These results extend the findings of earlier studies, and provide indications as to how to help teachers experiencing burnout.     

Assessing Noncognitive Aspects of School Readiness: The Predictive Validity of Brief Teacher Rating Scales of Social–Emotional Competence and Approaches to Learning

Research Findings: Head Start teachers completed brief rating scales measuring the social–emotional competence and approaches to learning of preschool children (total N = 164; 14% Hispanic American, 30% African American, 56% Caucasian; 56% girls). Head Start lead and assistant teacher ratings on both scales demonstrated strong internal consistency and moderate interrater reliability. When examined longitudinally, preschool teacher–rated approaches to learning made unique contributions to the prediction of kindergarten and 1st-grade academic outcomes, need for supplemental services, and grade retention, even after we accounted for preschool academic skills. In contrast, preschool teacher–rated social–emotional competence made unique contributions to the prediction of reduced behavior problems and peer difficulties in kindergarten and 1st grade. Practice or Policy: The findings demonstrate that preschool teachers are able to provide distinct and reliable ratings of child social–emotional competence and approaches to learning using brief rating scales, with validity for predicting elementary school adjustment.     

Social Work and Law Interdisciplinary Service Learning: Increasing Future Lawyers’ Interpersonal Skills

Social workers and attorneys both interact with persons from diverse backgrounds every day, yet although interpersonal skills are an essential focus of social work education, these skills are not addressed in legal education. Interdisciplinary courses in which social workers and lawyers learn interpersonal skills together and have an opportunity to practice them through service learning opportunities are a way to remedy a gap in legal education. The authors describe a project recently piloted at a large midwestern university in which law and graduate social work students participated in an interdisciplinary course with a service learning component requiring students to work together on cases. As one component of the clinic’s assessment, all students were pre- and posttested via an interpersonal skills survey. The law students showed statistically significant improvement in interpersonal skills at the end of the course. The results indicate a need for increased support for interdisciplinary education, specifically partnerships between the professions of law and social work.     

Developmental Status and Social–Emotional Functioning of Young Children Experiencing Homelessness

The developmental status and social–emotional functioning of young children who are homeless has received inadequate attention in spite of high rates of homelessness among families with young children and the potentially negative impact of homelessness and associated stressors on children’s well-being. The aim of this study was to gain understanding of homeless children’s social–emotional adjustment and their functioning in language, motor, and cognitive skills. We also examined gender and age differences in those areas of development. The sample included 328 children residing with their parents in one of 11 emergency shelter or transitional housing programs for families who were experiencing homelessness in a central North Carolina county. Child case managers administered the Brigance Early Childhood Screen II and the Ages and Stages Questionnaire: Socioemotional form in the shelter setting. Findings indicated variability in competence among the children, with some children performing above average on the developmental screening and demonstrating few social–emotional problems. However, developmental scores for overall functioning of the sample were significantly below the norming group, with particularly low functioning in language and communication skills. Parents of 24.8 % of the children had substantial concerns about their children’s mental health status. Although there are individual differences in adjustment of children experiencing homelessness, results support wide-scale screening and access to early intervention for these vulnerable children. Future investigations could be directed to identifying factors associated with resilience among children without homes.     

Teachers’ Social–Emotional Capacity: Factors Associated With Teachers’ Responsiveness and Professional Commitment

Research Findings: Early care and education has pronounced implications for young children’s social-emotional learning. Although program structural and classroom process quality indicators have been widely explored, teachers’ personal social–emotional capacity has only recently been recognized as an indicator of quality. This study reviewed and identified indicators of teachers’ social-emotional capacity and established a two factor structure of psychological load and coping abilities. We also explored correlational associations between teachers’ social-emotional capacity and their professional commitment and responsiveness to children’s negative emotions. The sample consisted of 1,129 teachers in center-based child-care programs and public preschools in the US. We found that teachers’ psychological load (depression, stress and emotional exhaustion) was associated with teachers’ negative reactions to children and teachers’ professional commitment after controlling for a wide range of teacher/classroom characteristics. Conversely, teachers’ coping abilities (reappraisal emotion regulation and problem-focused coping strategies) were related to their positive reactions to children’s negative emotions. Practice or Policy: The findings suggest further studies to identify training and professional development program components that might address early childhood teachers’ psychological difficulties and coping strategies. Child-care programs may also need efforts that support teachers’ social–emotional capacity as a way to improve teachers’ responsiveness and professional commitment.     

The Relation of Teachers’ Emotional Intelligence and Students’ Social Skills to Students’ Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties: A Study of Preschool Teachers’ Perceptions

The present study used hierarchical linear modeling to examine predictors of students’ emotional and behavioral difficulties in preschool classrooms. Specifically, the study examined (a) the link between teachers’ perceptions of their own emotional intelligence and students’ emotional and behavioral difficulties, (b) the link between teachers’ perceptions of students’ social skills and emotional and behavioral difficulties, and (c) how teachers’ perceptions of their own emotional intelligence were related differentially to their perceptions of students’ emotional and behavioral difficulties based on students’ social skills. Participants were 92 preschool teachers and 238 students from 52 state schools in central Greece. Research Findings: Results indicated that higher scores for teachers’ perceptions of emotional intelligence and students’ social skills were related to lower scores for teachers’ perceptions of students’ emotional and behavioral difficulties. Teachers’ perceptions of emotional intelligence were important in predicting students’ emotional and behavioral difficulties, especially in the case of students’ lack of social skills. Practice or Policy: This study provides empirical support for the predictors of students’ emotional and behavioral difficulties by taking into consideration both teachers’ perceptions of emotional intelligence and students’ social skills, thus suggesting new insights into the interpretation of emotional and behavioral difficulties in preschool.     

Associations Between Classroom Language Composition,Teacher Social-Emotional Support,and Dual Language Learning Preschoolers’ Social Behavior

This secondary analysis explored longitudinal associations between the concentration of shared-language peers and the development of prosocial and problem behavior in dual language learning (DLL) preschoolers from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Mixed-effects regression models were used to analyze year-end outcomes of 212 Spanish-speaking students in 73 Head Start classrooms in which English was the only instructional language. Research Findings: Classroom concentration of Spanish speakers was not associated with Spanish-speaking DLLs’ year-end prosocial behavior. For problem behavior, there was a disordinal interaction between teacher social-emotional support and classroom concentration. In classrooms with higher teacher social-emotional support, the proportion of Spanish-speaking classmates was positively associated with Spanish-speaking children’s problem behaviors. In classrooms with lower teacher social-emotional support, the proportion of Spanish-speaking students per classroom was negatively associated with Spanish-speaking children’s problem behaviors. Practice or Policy: Findings highlight the value of shared-language peers in particular classroom contexts and have implications for DLL students’ preschool classroom placements.