Social-emotional learning program: a community-based case-controlled study.

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Child Development
• Mental Health Interventions

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for adaptable social-emotional learning (SEL) programs.
• Traditional SEL programs often focus on externalizing behaviors, with less attention to internalizing issues.
• HappiGenius was developed to address these gaps, incorporating behavioral activities and remote learning capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of the HappiGenius SEL program in third-grade classrooms.
• To assess the program's impact on students' positive affect, self-compassion, mindfulness, and social behaviors.
• To explore teacher perceptions of the program's acceptability and usability.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental case-control study involving 14 third-grade classrooms across four schools.
• Quantitative assessment using standardized scales to measure social-emotional outcomes.
• Qualitative methods, including teacher feedback, to evaluate program feasibility and acceptability.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant improvements were observed in positive affect, self-compassion, or mindfulness.
• Meaningful improvements were noted in students' internalizing problems and peer-related difficulties.
• Qualitative findings emphasized the benefit of early program implementation for establishing behavioral expectations and reducing problem behaviors.

Conclusions:

• HappiGenius demonstrates potential for improving internalizing and peer problems in elementary students.
• The program's success may be influenced by the timing of its implementation within the academic year.
• Further research is warranted to optimize the delivery and assess the long-term impact of this novel SEL intervention.