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Are All Program Elements Created Equal? Relations Between Specific Social and Emotional Learning Components and
Tashia Abry1, Sara E Rimm-Kaufman2, Timothy W Curby3
1Arizona State University, 850 S. Cady Mall, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA. tabry@asu.edu.
Understanding which school-based social and emotional learning (SEL) components work best is key. This study found that specific Responsive Classroom (RC) strategies like Morning Meeting and Academic Choice significantly improve teacher-student interactions, especially for teachers needing the most support.
Area of Science:
- Educational Psychology
- Classroom Management
- Social and Emotional Learning
Background:
- Effective implementation of school-based social and emotional learning (SEL) programs requires understanding which components yield the greatest impact.
- Educators often lack clarity on the specific elements within SEL programs that drive desired outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between specific components of the Responsive Classroom (RC) approach and the quality of teacher-student interactions.
- To investigate whether teachers' baseline interaction quality moderates the association between RC components and interaction quality.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 143 teachers across third, fourth, and fifth grades.
- Assessment of four core RC components (Morning Meeting, Rule Creation, Interactive Modeling, Academic Choice) through surveys and observations.
- Analysis of teacher-student interaction quality (emotional, organizational, instructional) using aggregated ratings from five classroom observations.
Main Results:
- Implementation of Morning Meeting and Academic Choice was associated with higher quality emotionally supportive interactions.
- Academic Choice also positively related to higher quality instructional interactions.
- Teachers with lower baseline interaction quality showed the strongest positive associations between RC component use and improved interaction quality.
Conclusions:
- Identifying 'active ingredients' within SEL programs like RC is crucial for optimizing interventions and professional development.
- Targeted professional development focusing on specific, high-leverage RC components can enhance teacher-student interactions, particularly for those starting with lower interaction quality.
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