Theses and Dissertations
Date of Award
2017
Document Type
Dissertation - NSU Access Only
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Department
Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice
Advisor
David B. Ross
Committee Member
Jia Borror
Committee Member
Kimberly Durham
Keywords
Social-Emotional Learning, Instruction, Elementary, Triangulation, Classroom Quality
Abstract
This applied dissertation was designed to study teacher perceptions on social-emotional learning (SEL) and implications for instruction within primary elementary classrooms. In recent years, significant research has been conducted into the effectiveness of SEL on the social and academic growth and development of students. At the same time, social-emotional learning is becoming more of a priority nationally as well as at the state and local levels. There is however, a dearth of research that examines how teacher perceptions and experiences with SEL impact their instruction. Finally, a limited number of studies that examine teacher perceptions of social-emotional learning have used classroom observations to make the connection between teacher SEL beliefs and instructional practices.
This phenomenological study investigated teachers’ perceptions of and experiences with social-emotional learning, implications for instruction, and impact on student outcomes. The researcher gathered the experiences participants have had with SEL and compared them with teacher practices in the classroom as well as student behavior. The researcher conducted one-on-one, face-to-face interviews with six teachers in a New England coastal school district. Recorded and transcribed interviews were then member-checked by the participants for accuracy. The researcher then carefully analyzed the interview transcriptions line by line to develop emerging themes between the participants. The researcher examined the transcriptions to develop themes related to the study’s central research question, What are kindergarten through third grade teachers v i experiences while facilitating social-emotional learning? Five major themes were identified. The researcher then conducted hour-long classroom observations of each participant focused on social-emotional interactions using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (Pianta, La Paro, & Hamre, 2008). These observations provided an opportunity for the researcher to examine how participant perceptions of and experiences with SEL compare with how they actually interact with students. Finally, the researcher analyzed Office Discipline Referral data from September 2015 to December 2016 from the participants. This data allowed the researcher to examine the impact participant perceptions of and experiences with SEL and classroom social-emotional instruction may have on student outcomes, namely student behavior.
The results of this study showed a disparity exists between teacher perceptions of social-emotional learning and their practices in the classroom. While data for two of the participants indicated high levels of understanding about SEL led to high classroom implementation and the desired student outcome of decreased behavior referrals, data from the other four participants were not as conclusive. Additionally, data from the study suggests that teachers who have a well-developed understanding of social-emotional learning tend to see SEL as a tool for working with students who have traumatic backgrounds, rather than a critical aspect of development for all children. In closing, the researcher offered recommendations for social-emotional learning implementation within the study’s host district. The dissertation concludes with recommendations for future study on the topic of social-emotional learning.
NSUWorks Citation
Giordana M. Cote. 2017. Elementary School Teacher Perceptions on Student Social-Emotional Learning and Implications for Instruction. Doctoral dissertation. Nova Southeastern University. Retrieved from NSUWorks, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice. (813)
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/fse_etd/813.