Sarah K. Ura , Jessica W. DuBois , Katherine E. Fletcher , Julie A. Lorah
{"title":"Teacher competencies that promote equity: Examining the relationship between social-emotional competence and multicultural efficacy","authors":"Sarah K. Ura , Jessica W. DuBois , Katherine E. Fletcher , Julie A. Lorah","doi":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100121","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100121","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Academic and discipline gaps in U.S. schools may be a product, at least in part, of underdeveloped multicultural efficacy and social-emotional competence in classroom teachers. Developed in separate disciplines, both constructs are thought to equip teachers with knowledge and skills to build positive interactions with students and promote an equitable classroom, but their relationship to one another is unclear. We use data from 231 teachers who completed a measure of multicultural efficacy and a measure of social-emotional competence to gain a clearer picture of how multicultural efficacy and social-emotional competence relate to one another to inform teacher preparation efforts. Confirmatory factor analysis was employed to test four hypotheses about the underlying structure of constructs in relation to one another to better examine the degree to which factors, and the items comprising each factor, overlap. A 2-factor solution best fit our data, indicating related, but separate constructs; however, further study using different samples is needed to confirm. We discuss these results in the context of the potential need to embed both multicultural efficacy and social-emotional competence content within teacher preparation programs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101165,"journal":{"name":"Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy","volume":"5 ","pages":"Article 100121"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144166688","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Teacher preparation needs critical consciousness","authors":"Allison Rae Ward-Seidel , Lillian Bentley","doi":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100119","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100119","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Teaching is a challenging profession, let alone the additional hurdles placed on educators to overcome systemic barriers to close opportunity gaps and fill in missing education from the COVID-19 pandemic years. Teacher preparation programs are therefore tasked with upskilling future teachers with not only content knowledge and pedagogy, but also with a barrage of skills to understand and address the various needs of diverse learners. An underrepresented skill in teacher preparation programs is critical consciousness, defined as a critical awareness of systemic inequity, efficacy or agency to work for change, and taking action for social justice. From the perspective of two former classroom teachers with over 20 years of experience, this article presents the need for teacher preparation programs to incorporate critical consciousness as a crucial factor for well-equipped teachers to enter the profession. We present five key features of preservice teacher preparation and how to incorporate critical consciousness into each: (1) Developing preservice teacher’s own critical consciousness; (2) Applying critical consciousness to student teaching field experience; (3) Explicit instruction of pedagogy; (4) Applying critical consciousness to active learning methods; (5) Modeling critical consciousness through faculty mentoring. Integrating critical consciousness into these elements that we know to be best practices in teacher preparation, can support preservice teachers with a cohesive understanding and skillset to begin to address systemic inequity in schools.</div></div><div><h3>Impact Statement</h3><div>Critical consciousness (awareness and efficacy to enact change for social justice) in teacher preparation programs is essential for teachers to be prepared to teach students from diverse ethnic-racial backgrounds and to cultivate critical consciousness among all students. Much of what we know about best practices in education and teacher preparation cannot come to fruition without critically conscious educators (e.g., building supportive relationships with and among students, preparing students to think critically about real world issues). This article presents practical and concrete suggestions for integrating critical consciousness development into five key features of teacher preparation programs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101165,"journal":{"name":"Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy","volume":"5 ","pages":"Article 100119"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144166228","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sofia Oliveira , Andreia Cardoso , Mariana Oliveira Martins , Magda Sofia Roberto , Ana Margarida Veiga-Simão , Alexandra Marques-Pinto
{"title":"Bridging the gap in teacher SEL training: Designing and piloting an online SEL intervention with and for teachers","authors":"Sofia Oliveira , Andreia Cardoso , Mariana Oliveira Martins , Magda Sofia Roberto , Ana Margarida Veiga-Simão , Alexandra Marques-Pinto","doi":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100118","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100118","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study depicts the development of an online SEL intervention for Portuguese elementary-school teachers (<em>A+</em>), through an exploratory sequential design. First, to ensure the relevance and applicability of the <em>A+</em> , ten focus group were conducted with 66 elementary-school teachers (90.9 % female, <em>M</em><sub>age</sub>=45.56 years, <em>SD</em><sub><em>age</em></sub>=5.57). Results indicated strong interest and perceived relevance among teachers regarding SEL interventions. Based on Phase 1’s identified needs and the SEL theoretical framework, a pilot version of the <em>A+</em> was designed. To evaluate the efficacy and validity of the <em>A+</em> pilot version, a pre-posttest mixed-methods design with 21 teachers (90.5 % female, <em>M</em><sub><em>age</em></sub>=49.00 years, <em>SD</em><sub><em>age</em></sub>=6.44) was conducted. Data were collected through self-report questionnaires and analyzed using Robust Linear Mixed Models. Results suggested positive effects of the <em>A</em>+ program on teachers’ positive affect, responsible decision-making skills, and well-being. Additionally, teachers expressed high levels of interest and satisfaction with the proposed content and procedures. Despite its limitations, this study presents promising indicators of the <em>A</em>+ program’s potential effectiveness and suitability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101165,"journal":{"name":"Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy","volume":"5 ","pages":"Article 100118"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144099230","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rebecca J. Collie , Fabiola M. Sáez-Delgado , Helena Granziera
{"title":"Teachers’ perceived social-emotional competence as a vital mechanism of adult SEL","authors":"Rebecca J. Collie , Fabiola M. Sáez-Delgado , Helena Granziera","doi":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100117","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100117","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The significance of teachers’ social and emotional functioning is gaining recognition for its links with well-being, and its relevance to teachers’ effectiveness as educators and as builders of positive relationships and classroom environments. The overarching aim of this article is to spotlight factors that contribute to adult SEL and, by extension, the thriving of students and schools. We consider the concept of perceived social-emotional competence (perceived SEC), which is teachers’ belief in their ability to effectively conduct their social-emotional interactions at work. Examination of perceived SEC among teachers is now emerging and this article provides an initial review of this work. Our discussion extends to related beliefs including social-emotional self-efficacy, social goals, and emotion mindsets, reinforcing the importance of teachers’ social-emotional beliefs. Our review highlights the connection between these different social-emotional beliefs and teachers’ functioning more broadly. The article concludes with suggested practices to support teachers’ social-emotional beliefs and underscores the need for further research in this area.</div></div><div><h3>Impact Statement</h3><div>Teachers’ social and emotional functioning is increasingly recognized as vital to their well-being and instructional effectiveness. This article reviews emerging research on teachers’ perceived social-emotional competence—that is, teachers’ confidence in handling work-related social-emotional experiences and interactions. It also explores other social-emotional beliefs, linking them to important work-related experiences and outcomes. Findings suggest that nurturing these beliefs may enhance teacher well-being, teaching quality, and classroom dynamics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101165,"journal":{"name":"Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy","volume":"5 ","pages":"Article 100117"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144123632","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Leandro I. Chernicoff , María Florencia Giuliani , José Miguel Olvera Puentes , Mark Greenberg
{"title":"Educating for well-being: A systemic, culturally responsive SEL intervention for educators in Mexico. Results from a large-scale pilot study","authors":"Leandro I. Chernicoff , María Florencia Giuliani , José Miguel Olvera Puentes , Mark Greenberg","doi":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100114","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100114","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This large-scale real-world pilot study evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary evidence on the efficacy of \"Educating for Well-being\" (EW), a comprehensive and culturally responsive social-emotional learning (SEL) intervention for preschool educators from general and indigenous schools in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. The program comprised two components: an 80-hour professional development for educators (ET; n = 521) followed by a 60-hour systemic leadership training (LT; n = 126) for a subset of educators who participated in the ET. Data was collected through pre- and post-program surveys, measuring changes in educators' social-emotional competencies, psychological well-being, and schoolwide SEL implementation processes. Results indicate high feasibility and acceptability for both ET and LT components, with significant improvements in educators' self-efficacy, psychological distress, and various social-emotional competencies after the ET and significant improvements in key activities for SEL schoolwide implementation after the LT. This study provides preliminary evidence of the program's effectiveness and potential to empower educators to promote culturally responsive SEL practices in Indigenous and non-indigenous educational settings, equipping them to actively work towards narrowing the academic gap between both populations. Future research should include randomized controlled trials and longitudinal follow-up assessments to further examine EW’s impact on educator and student outcomes. This article contributes to the current body of knowledge in systemic, culturally responsive adult SEL, addressing its need in Latin America, particularly its impact on the indigenous population, where the inequalities are even more severe than in the general population.</div></div><div><h3>Impact statement</h3><div>This large-scale pilot study provides preliminary evidence of the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary evidence on the efficacy of the 'Education for Wellbeing' program, which includes a SEL-focused professional development course and systemic leadership training for both the general population and Indigenous communities from Mexico.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101165,"journal":{"name":"Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy","volume":"5 ","pages":"Article 100114"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144068370","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kristin Rush , Maiko Hata , Deirdre Hon , Lauren Vega O’Neil
{"title":"Implementation of transformative SEL standards for preparing future educators: A case study","authors":"Kristin Rush , Maiko Hata , Deirdre Hon , Lauren Vega O’Neil","doi":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100115","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100115","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Despite two decades of research on positive impacts of social and emotional learning (SEL), many teachers feel underprepared to support their students’ SEL. The purpose of this qualitative study is to describe the efforts of several of Oregon’s Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs) to conceptualize and carry out implementation of Oregon’s SEL standards to better support future teachers. We explored how EPPs across Oregon are addressing these new standards with interviews of four institutional representatives who are members of The Oregon Collaborative for SEL in Educator Preparation (OCSEP). The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities associated with implementing SEL state standards for EPPs and how to better support SEL standard implementation moving forward. The paper concludes with suggestions for future directions for SEL standards in educator preparation, emphasizing the need for ongoing evaluation, refinement, and adaptation to different teacher preparation contexts. Challenges and obstacles encountered during the implementation process are discussed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101165,"journal":{"name":"Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy","volume":"5 ","pages":"Article 100115"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143934772","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Growing HEART skills: Lessons learned on adult SEL development","authors":"Lorea Martínez","doi":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100116","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100116","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper explores the implementation of Growing Your HEART Skills, an adult SEL program, within two distinct educational contexts: a community of practice and a school-wide initiative. Designed to develop educators' emotional awareness, self-management, empathy, social skills, and sense of purpose, the program aims to strengthen teacher well-being and enhance their capacity to create positive and supportive learning environments. By examining the experiences of educators in California’s Santa Cruz and Los Angeles counties, this study identifies key factors contributing to successful implementation, including leadership support, authentic engagement, and facilitator expertise, and discusses how leaders overcame challenges to increase buy-in and trust. Key insights highlight the transformative potential of adult SEL in enhancing educators' wellness. Recommendations for future implementation are provided.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101165,"journal":{"name":"Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy","volume":"5 ","pages":"Article 100116"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143917542","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Annie O’Brien , Margarita Panayiotou , Joao Santos , Suzanne Hamilton , Neil Humphrey
{"title":"A systematic review informing recommendations for assessing implementation variability in universal, school-based social and emotional learning interventions","authors":"Annie O’Brien , Margarita Panayiotou , Joao Santos , Suzanne Hamilton , Neil Humphrey","doi":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100112","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100112","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>There is theoretical support for, and emerging empirical evidence that, implementation variability (e.g., fidelity, dosage, quality) influences outcomes of school-based social-emotional learning (SEL) interventions, yet this relationship remains underexplored. This review aimed to (1) identify and appraise the quality of methods used to assess the relationship between implementation variability and student outcomes and (2) determine the association between implementation dimensions and student outcomes, to reduce the research-to-practice gap and advance evidence-based practice.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>British Education Index, ERIC, PsycINFO, ASSIA, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science were searched, initially identifying 2987 studies. An Implementation Quality Appraisal Checklist (IQAC) was developed to assess the quality of research statistically examining the implementation-outcomes relationship. Extracted data were grouped according to the implementation dimension(s) assessed, the outcome domain(s) examined, and the statistical method(s) used.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Thirty-one studies met the review inclusion criteria. Quality assessment classified fourteen studies (45 %) as low quality, fifteen (48 %) as medium quality, and 2 (7 %) as high quality. The most frequently examined implementation dimensions were dosage (n = 16), fidelity (n = 11), quality (n = 11), responsiveness (n = 6) and reach (n = 3). Inferring the implementation-outcomes relationship was hindered by the heterogeneity and low quality of studies, resulting in a small sample size of comparison groups; calculation of meta-aggregative effect sizes was therefore not possible.</div></div><div><h3>Discussion</h3><div>This review reveals the paucity of high-quality research examining the relationship between implementation variability of SEL interventions and student outcomes. We propose the use of the aforementioned IQAC to support and guide future research in this area, and provide recommendations to advance implementation science.</div></div><div><h3>Impact statements</h3><div><ul><li><span>•</span><span><div>This review reveals that the relationship between implementation variability and child outcomes in universal, school-based SEL interventions remains largely inconclusive due to limited attention, and poor-quality approaches, examining this relationship.</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>We call for more and high-quality studies examining the relationship between implementation processes and outcomes.</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>Alongside this call for action, we offer recommendations to advance implementation process evaluations, actionable insights for researchers and their partners/collaborators, and provide a methodological framework and a quality appraisal checklist to guide and support researchers in conducting a high-quality quantitative assessment of the implementation-outcomes relationship from design thr","PeriodicalId":101165,"journal":{"name":"Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy","volume":"5 ","pages":"Article 100112"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144099294","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rebecca N. Baelen , Brian M. Galla , Rebecca A. Maynard
{"title":"Investigating a brief intervention to instill a self-compassionate perspective in teaching: A randomized field experiment with first-year classroom teachers","authors":"Rebecca N. Baelen , Brian M. Galla , Rebecca A. Maynard","doi":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100113","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100113","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study tests the impacts of a brief intervention designed to impart self-compassionate ideas to beginning teachers as they enter into teaching. The brief intervention uses wise intervention techniques to help teachers interpret professional stressors from a more self-compassionate perspective. The study employed a pre-registered, double-blind randomized field experiment with first-year K-12 classroom teachers [N = 119] from three graduate teacher education programs. Both immediately after the intervention and 6 months later, participants answered questions about holding a self-compassionate perspective in teaching, a resilient mindset for teaching, and a growth orientation toward teaching. At 6-month follow-up they also answered questions about self-efficacy in teaching, occupational well-being, and commitment to teaching. Findings showed no main effects of the intervention. However, exploratory analyses revealed significant subgroup effects of the intervention based on participants' baseline commitment to teaching. Highly committed teachers who underwent the intervention were more likely to hold a resilient mindset, a growth orientation toward teaching, and have greater self-efficacy 6 months following the intervention compared to highly committed teachers in the control group. This same group of teachers were lower in terms of burnout (lack of personal accomplishment) and higher in terms of job satisfaction compared to highly committed control group teachers – differences that were marginally significant. Implications for future research are discussed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101165,"journal":{"name":"Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy","volume":"5 ","pages":"Article 100113"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144068367","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The use of a matched controls design and publicly available outcome data to evaluate a multiyear urban school-based SEL intervention","authors":"Angela W. Wang , Simon Daniel , Maurice J. Elias","doi":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100111","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100111","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study evaluated the effects of the <em>Mastering Our Skills and Inspiring Character</em> (MOSAIC) intervention on school-wide student outcomes for urban middle school students. Specifically, it investigated the extent to which schools implementing the MOSAIC intervention (<em>n</em> = 6) show greater progress on key state-collected academic (e.g., English Language Arts, Mathematics) and behavioral (e.g., absenteeism, behavior referrals) outcome variables, compared to matched schools not hosting MOSAIC (<em>n</em> = 30). Data were collected from publicly available school performance reports across multiple time points, including baseline, early implementation, and full implementation. These indicators were assessed annually, with academic assessments administered in the spring and behavioral metrics aggregated for the full academic year. This study utilizes the overlapping matched control group design, an innovative evaluation approach that involves fewer schools than most randomized control trials and relies on measurements routinely collected by schools, so as to provide feasible adoption of this approach by local schools and districts. Additionally, this study adds to the emerging literature on the impact of longitudinal SEL-related interventions on behavioral and academic trajectories in the middle grades with predominantly urban, minoritized youth, to inform educational policy. Our findings indicate mixed results across academic and behavioral indicators, such as significant improvement in Math scores but smaller effects for behavioral metrics, such as substance use. The results highlight the challenges and potential value of the matched control approach and the importance of monitoring multiple domains to fully understand intervention impacts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101165,"journal":{"name":"Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy","volume":"5 ","pages":"Article 100111"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143883251","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}