Developing social and emotional learning competencies in classrooms implementing the Schoolwide Positive Behaviour Support Program: Three case studies

Abstract

Research is well established to indicate that the presence of competencies reflecting social and emotional learning is beneficial to students (and teachers) as they seek success in their academic development as well as life within the community (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning [CASEL], 2008;Durlak, Domitrovich, Weissberg, and Gullotta, 2015). The benefits of implementing programs schoolwide are also well documented (Brackett & Rivers, 2011;Zins et al., 2004). There are also well-researched indications that the implementation of a positive behaviour program such as Schoolwide Positive Behaviour Support provides students with a framework of behavioural expectations and support that helps to minimise negative behavioural incidences, which are distractions from learning (Sugai et al., 2010). It follows that the simultaneous implementation of both a positive behaviour program and a social and emotional learning program would maximise the opportunities for students to develop those skills required to be successful in academic learning and daily life. The teaching participants in this study, as well as the administration members from both schools, were interviewed to identify their understandings and implementation of the internationally accepted social and emotional learning competencies as documented by CASEL. Teaching participants were also observed in their classrooms. Students' ii development of social and emotional learning skills, as perceived by their teachers, were recorded through completion of a survey at both the commencement and conclusion of the study. Behavioural documentation relating to office discipline referrals and student disciplinary absences were reviewed by the researcher for each of the participating teachers' classrooms. As well, a focus group of four students from each of the classes involved in this study were interviewed. However, because of difficulties initiating discussion from the younger students, only the data collected from Year 6 students were included in the study.Administration and teacher interviews, classroom observations, surveys completed by teachers to reflect their perceptions of their students' development of social and emotional learning competencies and behavioural documentation were reviewed to code data.Interviews were coded to identify perceived understandings and importance of social and emotional learning competencies, as well as interviewees' perceptions of not only how they helped students develop each of the competencies, but also school/classroom changes.Transcripts of observations of teachers were coded to identify social and emotional learning language used in their classrooms and to measure classroom climate through the presence of respect in the classrooms, students' motivation and morale, and tone of the teacher. Other behaviours such as non-verbal communications were also identified. Teachers' perceptions of the development of their students' social and emotional learning competencies combined with records relating to beha...