The Effect of the School-Based Social Emotional Learning Positive Intervention for Male Middle School Students

School-based mentoring programs are plentiful in number; however, studies measuring the impact of school-based mentoring for students with disabilities are limited. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of mentoring on the academic and social emotional skills of middle school students with documented disabilities, as well as the impact of the mentor-mentee relationship on college-student mentors. The mentoring program paired four college education majors with four middle school males with documented disabilities who were identified by their teacher as needing assistance with academic and socio-emotional skills. A mixed-methods study was used to conduct an in-depth investigation of the impact of the mentor partnership. Data collection methods included (1) mentor and mentee surveys, (2) observations of mentor-mentee activities, (3) interviews with a science teacher and special education teacher, and (4) science grades. Results from the study support the positive impact that mentoring can have on both academic and social-emotional development of middle school students with documented disabilities.

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A Quasi-Experimental Study on Social Emotional Learning and Primary Prevention

Journal of Educational and Developmental Psychology ◽

10.5539/jedp.v11n2p1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 1

Author(s):

Melissa Sollom

Keyword(s):

Middle School ◽

Experimental Study ◽

Social Emotional Learning ◽

Emotional Learning ◽

Control Group ◽

Social Emotional ◽

School Students ◽

Emotional Competencies ◽

Quasi Experimental ◽

Experimental Group

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to determine the efficacy of the Top 20 social emotional learning (SEL) program and how their SEL curriculum may lead to an increase in SEL. The secondary goal of this study was to explore how the social emotional competencies of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, personal responsibility, decision-making, optimistic thinking, and goal-directed behavior may play a significant role in a child and adolescent’s social emotional development. A total of 359 middle school students participated in the study. The experimental group consisted of 170 students and the control group consisted of 189 students. Two middle school teachers at the school helped embed and teach the Top 20 SEL curriculum and monthly SEL lessons to all students in the experimental group. The teachers completed the Devereux Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA) pre-test one month into the study and the DESSA post-test five months later. The descriptive analysis revealed an increase in all eight social emotional competencies for the experimental group with a total SEL difference score of M = 8.23. The Top 20 SEL program has demonstrated how experience and practice in SEL skills are more likely to lead to an increase in SEL.

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School-Based Social-Emotional Learning and Ethnic-Racial Identity Among African American and Latino Adolescents

Youth & Society ◽

10.1177/0044118x20939736 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 52 (7) ◽

pp. 1331-1354

Author(s):

Deborah Rivas-Drake ◽

Fantasy T. Lozada ◽

Bernardette J. Pinetta ◽

Robert J. Jagers

Keyword(s):

Middle School ◽

African American ◽

Racial Identity ◽

Learning Strategies ◽

Social Emotional Learning ◽

Emotional Learning ◽

Social Emotional ◽

Identity Exploration ◽

School Based ◽

Learning Practices

This study sheds light on the interrelations of universal, school-based social-emotional learning strategies and ethnic-racial identity over time. We assessed exposure to social-emotional learning practices and ethnic-racial identity exploration and resolution among 367 middle school students (70% African American, 30% Latinx; 51% girls) across 3 years. The results of a latent growth model with social-emotional learning practices as a time-varying covariate suggest that practices that afford youth opportunities for autonomy, prosocial behavioral routines, and collaboration in the context of homerooms (advisories) and classrooms were consistently associated with greater ethnic-racial identity exploration and resolution across the middle school years. Theoretical and practical implications for the potential of school-based social-emotional learning to support the development of cultural assets such as ethnic-racial identity are discussed.

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