A Qualitative Evaluation of a Project to Enhance Pupils' Emotional Literacy Through a Student Assistance Programme

Abstract

Recent policy highlights schools' responsibility for safeguarding children and promoting their health and welfare and addressing their emotional and behavioural needs. In doing so, it is anticipated that their emotional literacy and social competence might be enhanced. Recognizing that an increasing number of children exhibit emotional and behavioural difficulties affecting their learning, Wrexham Local Education Authority implemented a Student Assistance Programme (SAP). SAP offers primary prevention and early intervention to pupils who exhibit high‐risk behaviours and supports those whose circumstances affect their ability to engage with others at home and school, through participation in support groups. A study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of SAP. The study aimed to illuminate changes in student behaviour as described by themselves and facilitators, and to identify any wider implications of the SAP in terms of its effects on peers, teachers and family members. Using an interactive, responsive evaluation design, 11 focus group interviews were conducted involving 21 facilitators, seven head‐teachers and 64 children. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The findings revealed benefits, challenges and issues of sustainability. This paper discusses the findings of the study and the implications for future sustainability.

The Student Assistance Program: higher education’s Holy Grail

“…Overall there was good agreement between the students and facilitators in terms of the perceived benefits of Group. These findings support those reported by Carnwell and Baker (2007) who evaluated the use of the SAP to develop the emotional literacy of primary and secondary school-aged children. Through Group the children became more confident, learned to trust people and were able to express themselves and their emotions more easily (Carnwell & Baker, 2007).…”

“…These findings support those reported by Carnwell and Baker (2007) who evaluated the use of the SAP to develop the emotional literacy of primary and secondary school-aged children. Through Group the children became more confident, learned to trust people and were able to express themselves and their emotions more easily (Carnwell & Baker, 2007). In the present study, students experienced similar behaviour changes; some outlined how they had changed their coping mechanisms, others explained how they no longer felt isolated and all valued the trust that developed in the group.…”

“…The main intervention involves school-based support groups 1 (Carnwell & Baker, 2007;Carnwell et al, 2009), which are lead by facilitators who have attended an intensive three-day experiential training course. Training requires delegates to become familiar with the process, materials and delivery.…”

Emotional pedagogy and the gendering of social and emotional learning

“…Schools were identified for participation owing to their delivery of a SEL learning intervention, the Student Assistance Programme (Carnwell and Baker 2007;Carnwell, Baker, and Wassell 2008;Watkins 2008). Borne out of the recovery movement, the programme was developed in the USA during the early 1980s.…”

Metaphor Windows and Mirror Technique in Cooperative Games for Develop Emotional Literacy on Children

“…A study by Carnwell and Baker (2007) about raising the emotional literacy students through the Student Assistance Program (SAP) find that to help students in improving emotional literacy and required the ability of a good facilitator and the use of the strategy needs to be developed, so that allows the facilitators to alter the role of the teaching of the group and the teaching of the classroom. More information explained that behavior change on some of the students not supported in a long timeother research about increase emotional literacy using expressive counseling conducted by Pearson &Wilson (2008) which resulted in the discovery that emotional literacy can enhance with expressive counseling.…”