POLICY AND PRACTICE Social-emotional learning


● Promoting actively helping others; ● Promoting not being socially withdrawn; and ● Reducing expression of negative feelings and fi ghting behaviour.


How to choose a SEL programme Based on the research evidence, what attributes should school leaders and teachers look for in a programme to support pupils’ social-emotional learning? In previous evaluations, characteristics of effective programmes included: ● A sequential and integrated skills curriculum;


● Active forms of teaching to promote skills; ● Focused attention on skill development; ● Established learning goals; and ● High-fi delity implementation of programme components.


In addition, and consistent with the current interest in creating a catalogue of proven programmes that meet a “gold standard” in evaluation terms, the evaluation of the PATHS (NI) programme suggests that the following criteria would also usefully inform a school’s choice of a SEL programme: ● Extensive monitoring and support by the local programme administration;


● An ongoing multi-level coaching/ support structure consisting of school- based professional development from programme experts;


● Embedded support from school-based programme co-ordinators;


● Culturally appropriate language and materials;


● Provision of a high quality training programme;


● Provision of a teacher manual, including lesson plans, to provide intervention specifi city;


● High quality resource provision, such as books, puppets and posters;


● Curriculum emphasis on recognising and managing emotions, and resolving social problems;


What we know


● SEL programmes can have a signifi cant impact on pupils’ behaviour and learning.


● Research has shown that PATHS (NI) is advantageous to pupils’ social- emotional development.


● Factors that schools should look for when choosing a SEL programme include a focus on skills development, learning goals, effective support and CPD, and high quality resources.


● Schools should choose SEL programmes that have evidence of success.


● Focus on strategies for calming down and controlling behaviour; and


● Clear evidence of programme success and impact, for example on pupils’ self-esteem and behaviour.


Getting the most from a SEL programme The success of a programme is, of course, highly dependent on school factors. Evidence from the PATHS (NI) evaluation suggests that, to ensure that a chosen SEL programme has the best chance of success, schools should consider their own capacity for the following: ● Sustaining the engagement of teachers through sharing good practice, facilitating planning and preparation time, and providing regular feedback on the successes of the programme;


● Conducting a regular audit and review of how faithfully and consistently the programme is being implemented, in order to reliably evaluate the impact on classroom practice and learning outcomes;


● Using pupil-level data in a systematic way to evaluate the impact of programme effectiveness on pupil attainment; and


● Embedding programme strategies more strongly in the school culture so that they are reinforced naturally and continually during teaching and play activities.


Research evidence suggests that when all these factors come together, the pathway is clear to improving pupils’ social-emotional learning and self-effi cacy.


About the authors Mary Sheard is a research fellow in the Institute for Effective Education. Her research interests are in teacher learning and CPD, learning with video


representations, and pupil learning with technology. Prior to working at the IEE, Mary worked as a research fellow at Huddersfi eld University, as a primary school teacher, an advisory teacher and consultant, and was the chair of governors for a primary school in challenging circumstances. Steven Ross is professor and senior research scientist at the Center for Research and Reform in Education at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. His research focuses on school reform, programme evaluation, and primary and secondary technology integration.


Further reading/resources


Domitrovich CE, Cortes R, and Greenberg MT (2007), Improving Young Children’s Social and Emotional Competence: A Randomised Trial of the Preschool PATHS Curriculum. Journal of Primary Prevention, 28, 67–91.


Durlak JA et al (2011), The Impact of Enhancing Students’ Social and Emotional Learning: A Meta-analysis of School- based Universal Interventions. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.


Hoffman DM (2009), Refl ecting on Social Emotional Learning: A Critical Perspective on Trends in the United States. Review of Educational Research, 79(2), 533–556.


Payton et al (2010), Social and Emotional Learning: A Framework for Promoting Mental Health and Reducing Risk. Journal of School Health, 70(5), 179–185. American School Health Association.


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