Social Emotional Learning in ELT Classrooms: Theoretical Foundations, Benefit...
JALT Presentation
1. “If we teach today’s
students as we taught
yesterday’s, we rob
them of tomorrow.”
~ John Dewey
2.
SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING
SKILLS FOR THE 21st CENTURY
Arnold F. Arao
University of Missouri
Department of Educational Psychology
Saturday, June 18th, 2016 Notre Dame Seishin University, Okayama, Japan
4. WHAT IS SOCIAL EMOTIONAL
LEARNING?
The Collaborative for Social and Emotional
Learning (CASEL) define social-emotional learning
(SEL) as:
the process through which children and adults
acquire and effectively apply the knowledge,
attitudes and skills necessary to understand
and manage emotions, set and achieve positive
goals, feel and show empathy for others and
maintain positive relationships and make
responsible decisions.
(http://www.casel.org/social-and-emotional-learning/)
5. WHY DOWE NEED SOCIAL EMOTIONAL
LEARNING?
less than 1/3 of students report that they feel
socially competent
less than 30% of students feel that their
school is a caring, encouraging environment
By high school, 60% of students disengage
from school
30-50% of students engage in multiple high-
risk behaviour
(Durlak et al., 2011)
image source: http://www.edutopia.org
16. RELATIONSHIP
SKILL
EFFECTIVE LEARNING
STRATEGIES
ACADEMIC BEHAVIOURS
ACADEMIC TENACITY
PROSCOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
POSITIVE AND
NURTURING
RELATIONSHIPS
image source: http://www.casel.org/social-and-emotional-learning/core-competencies/
SELF
AWARENESS
SOCIAL
AWARENESS
SELF-
MANAGEMENT
RESPONSIBLE DECISION MAKING
Social &
emotional
learning RESPONSIBLE
DECISION-
MAKING
17. WHAT DOESTHE RESEARCH SHOW?
STUDENTS WHO ARE ALREADY ACADEMICALLY SUCCESSFUL
by building on strengths and developing weaker areas students are introduced to
positive failure and develop qualities such as grit and tenacity. “Students who go from success
to success will be unprepared for life’s frustrations simply because they have no knowledge
of them (Hoerr, 2013, p.7)
TEST SCORES ARE POOR INDICATORS OF FUTURE OUTCOMES. GPAs and teachers grades
are much better more accurate predictors of how a student will do in the future both
academically and in life (CASEL, 2015, p.9, Dweck at al., 2014, p.2, Elias, Parker, Kash,
Weissberg & O’brien, 2008, p.254, Farrington et al., 2014, p20-27, Weissberg & Cascarino,
2013, p.11)
For STUDENTS WHO STRUGGLE, SEL competencies help act as a buffer against a variety of
risk factors and can mediate or even vaccinate individuals against risks (Beets et al., 2009)
INTEGRATED CLASSROOMS room are the direction that the Ministry of Education is
moving toward. SEL programs have consistently demonstrated success for student with
disorders and disabilities and has been successfully used to ease transition into
mainstream classes (Bellini et al., 2007, Destin, M. & Kosko, M.J., 2016, Elbertson et al.,
2010, Sumida, M., 2010).
18. HOW CANWE IMPLEMENT SEL IN OUR
CLASSROOMS?
Scheduled student-teacher check-ins
Effective use of classroom meetings
High expectations
Communicate with families from the teacher and the student
Provide assistance exemplars to stimulate and encourage
conversation at home
Explicitly instruct and provide opportunities to practice
problem solving
Model mastery self-talk
Incorporate students in decisions that affect the classroom
Socially - Oriented
Microchanges
19. WHAT CANWE DOTO IMPLEMENT SEL
IN OUR CLASSROOMS?
Instruct and provide opportunities to practice prosocial behaviour,
self-regulating strategies, goal setting and decision making
Explicitly communicate classroom rules (and review periodically)
Give students varied choices (where to sit, how much time, how
to respond)
Help students self-rate (e.g. a competency check list)
Provide step-by-step direction
Develop designated activity areas
Use alpha instead of beta commands
Academic -
Oriented
Microchanges
20. SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING
FINALTHOUGHTS
REDUCE aggression and emotional
distress
INCREASE prosocial behaviours
INCREASE academic behaviours
IMPROVE positive attitudes toward
one’s self and others
IMPROVE student academic
performance by 11 percentile points
(Durlak et al., 2011)
video source: http://www.edutopia.org/keys-social-emotional-
learning-video
21. REFERENCES
Beets, M. W., Flay, B. R., Vuchinich, S., Snyder, F. J., Acock, A., Li, k.-K., et al. (2009). Use of a social and character development program
to prevent substance abuse, violent behaviors and sexual activity among elementary-school students in Hawaii. American Journal of
Public Health , 99 (8), 1438-1445.
Bellini, S., Peters, J.K., Benner, L., & Hopf, A. (2007). A meta-analysis of school-based social skills interventions for children with Autism
Spectrum Disorder. Remedial and Special Eduation, 28(3), 153-162
Boykin, A. W., & Noguera, P. (2011). Creating the Opportunity to Learn. Alexandria, VA, USA: ASCD Publications.
Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning. (2015). 2015 CASEL guide: Effective Social and Emotional Learning programs.
CASEL. Chicago: Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning.
Compton, W. C., & Hoffman, E. (2013). Positive psychology: The science of happiness and flourishing (2nd Edition ed.). Belmont, CA,
USA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Doll, B., Brehm, K., & Zucker, S. (2014). Resilient Classrooms: Creating Healthy Environments for Learning (2nd Ed. ed.). New York, NY,
USA: The Guilford Press.
Duckworth, A. L., Grant, H., Loew, B., Oettingen, G., & Gollwitzer, P. M. (2010). Self-regulation strategies improve self-discipline in
adolescents: Benefits of mental contrasting and implementation intentions. Educational Psychology , 31 (1), 17-26.
22. REFERENCES
Duckworth, A. L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M. D., & Kelly, D. R. (2007). Grit: Perseverance and Passion for Long-Term Goals. Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology , 92 (6), pp. 1087-1101.
Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dyminicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students' social and
emotional learning: A meta-analysis of school-based universal interventions. Child Development , 82 (1), 405-432.
Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York, NY, USA: Ballantine Books
Dweck, C. S., Walton, G. M., & Cohen, G. L. (2014). Academic tenacity: Mindsets and skills that promote long-term learning. Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation.
Elias, M. J., Parker, S. J., Kash, V. M., Weissberg, R. P., & O'Brien, M. U. (2008). Social and Emotional Learning, Moral Education, and
Character Education: A comparative analysis and a view toward convergence. In L. P. Nucci, & D. Narvaez, Handbook of Moral and
Character Education (1st Ed. ed., pp. 248-266). New York, NY, USA: Taylor and Francis.
Farrington, C. A., Roderick, M., Allensworth, E., Nagaoka, J., Keyes, T. S., Johnson, D. W., et al. (2012). Teaching adolescents to become
learners: The role of noncognitive factors in shaping school performance: A critical literature review. University of Chicago Consortium
on Chicago School Research. Chicago: University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research.
Hoerr, T. R. (2013). Fostering grit: How do I prepare my students for the real world? Danvers, MA, USA: ASCD Publications.
23. REFERENCES
Jones, S. M., & Bouffard, M. (2012). Social and emotional learning in schools: From programs to strategies. Social Policy Report , 26 (4), 1-33.
Kerig, P. K., Ludlow, A., & Wenar, C. (2012). Developmental Psychopathology (6th Edition ed.). Maidenhead, Berkshire, UK: McGraw-Hill Education.
Maslow, A. H. (1970). Motivation and Personality (2nd Ed ed.). Harper & Row Publishers.
OECD. (2015). Education at a glance 2015: OECD indicators. OECD Publishing.
OECD. (2012). Lessons from PISA for Japan, strong performers and successful reformers in education. OECD. OECD Publishing.
Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. E. (2004). Character strengths and virtues: A handbook and classification. Washington, DC, USA: Oxford University Press.
Scherf, K. S., Sweeney, J.A., & Luna, B. (2006). Brain basis of developmental change in visuaspatial working memory. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience,
18 (7),1045-158.
Seligman, M. E. (2006). Learned optimism: How to change your mind and change your life. New York, NY, USA: Vintage Books.
Tough, P. (2012). How children succeed: Grit, curiosity and the hidden power of character. New York, NY, USA: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing
Company.
Weissberg, R. P., & Cascarino, J. (2013). Academic learning + social-emotional learning = national priority. Phi Kappan Delta , 95 (2), 8-13.
http://www.casel.org/social-and-emotional-learning/core-competencies/
http://www.edutopia.org
Notas do Editor
Small discussion.
TAKE AWAY: To consider the possibility that we need to rethink education from the perspective of facilitating learning rather than at making teaching more effective.
X AXIS experience Y AXIS mastery
Life skills: self-awareness, emotional regulation, managing stress, managing conflict, problem solving, prosocial behaviour, grit, tenacity, resilience, empathy,
SHORT DISCUSSION what are some factors that contribute to this (KEY: Take a moment and think about your memories from school
I am pretty sure they are not about passing a test or they day I had to really study hard for an upcoming midterm. They are probably filled with relationships, relationships to friends, teachers, and even your school … which for many students nowadays is a huge stumbling block) Invasiveness of media messages
social competence: empathy, decision making skills, conflict resolution 77% of students reported that they experienced some form of verbal abuse from their peers in the past year
80% reported the same from cyber bullying
Some important facts: Despite the majority of students finishing high school (97%), less than 1/3 of students go on to pursue higher-learning (OECD, 2015, pp. 41,55). More poignant is the concern that such a demanding education system may be a factor in the ever increasing suicide rate among adolescents, particularly with suicide being cited as the second leading cause of death among Japanese adolescents (OECD, 2012, p. 49).
The salient aspect of social emotional learning (SEL) is the SOCIAL aspect. Education as most of us practice it, is a social experience. At its core is the relationship between a teacher and a student. There is a unwritten contract of communication. Surrounding this is peer relationships and around this is school environment. To be successful, students need to be able to navigate the pitfalls that are part and parcel of those relationships. They need to possess the skills and abilties to regulate emotion and behaviour to pursue positive helathy relationships and respond appropriately to negative ones. But when are those skills taught moreover when do students have an opportunity to practice them. We expect and talk about character being important but fail to give a chance to experience it directly.
So far maybe some of you see this as fairly airy-fairy touchy-feely sentiment and in my experience, talking to others about this, it is not a unique reaction. So, let’s look at the science behind this. This has to deal with the emotional side of SEL.
talk about biology and then the skills to alter biology (i.e. go into SEL competencies) NEUROPLASTICITY of the BRAIN
DORSOLATERAL PFC executive functions (i.e. cognitive processes incl. working memory, flexibility planning) risky behaviour, decision making
ORBITOFRONTAL CORTEX affective value of reinforcement (i.e reward & punishment) which makes it crucial for adaptive behaviour
AMYGDALA – negative emotions (i.e fight or flight) play a primary role on the processing of memories with emotional connotations also mediates the affect of emotional arousal
ANTERIOR CINGULATE CORTEX error detection and conflict resolution (STROOP TEST)
Diffuse mirror imaging shows the connections between the PFC and the amygdala
Diffuse mirror imaging shows the connections between the PFC and the amygdala (in this case the UNCINATE FASCICULUS
LINE GRAPH: People with greater mindfulness (affective control) showed greater amygdala down regulation
BAR GRAPH: shows how stress affects working memory and produces longer reaction times in both people with high and low working memory but the affect is more pronounced for those with a low working memory
AFFECTIVE CHRONOMETRY
what if we can teach students the skills to become self aware of themselves and their emotions
to manage self-distressing feeling
to be more empathic
to ake sound social decision
Social-emotional learning can be seen in terms of competencies that incorporate internal and external awareness and regulation
The interaction of these results in a fifth competency:
DEF: the ability to recognize one’s emotions and thoughts and to understand their influence on behaviour
Includes a recognition of one’s strengths and limitations
metacognition (include meta-comprehension: self-judging about the “rightness” of an answer, meta-memory: awareness of one’s memory and how to effectively use memory support tasks) BERGIN 2015 and metacognitive monitoring which is the ability to observe one’s self, detect errors and inconsistencies in one’s speech or thinking and appreciating that others may have a different perspective (Kerig & Ludlow, p. 564)
Flexible optimism gives an individual control over how one approaches adversity. It implies the “positive” integration of pessimism to support a “keener sense of reality” in the context of optimistic outcomes (learned optimism, 208)
Mental contrasting “ability to envision a future goal in relation to present circumstances” (More on this later)
SELF AWARENESS IS DIFFICULT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AS THEY OFTEN HAVE A DIFFICULTY TIME APPRECIATING THEIR BODY SPACE AND THE EFFECT OF THE WORDS AND ACTIONS ON OTHER PEOPLE
DEFN: regulation of emotions and attitudes
Putting awareness to work
ACADEMIC TENACITY DEFN: impulse in a given direction and maintained momentum regardless of encountered challenges
STUDENTS DO NOT NECESSARILY KNOW THE TOOLS OR HAVE LEARNED STRATEGIES TO SELF-REGULATE they need to be taught and then provided the opportunity to practice them
We talk about character as being important but fail to provide students a chance to experience it directly
Duckworth Upenn “Grit”
Three paths to goal commitment Oettingen 2001
Indulging: focus on the positive with no regard for possible obstacles
Dwelling : focus on the negative exclusive of possible positive future outcomes
Mental Contrasting: envisioning desired outcome in relation to present circumstances
MENTAL CONTRASTING desired future is seen first (positive) and the present is seen as “in the way”. This realization energizes the individual to action
GOAL SETTTING v. Implementation intentions (i.e. if-then statement) The example she draws is I want to lose five pounds v. I want to lost five pounds + If I exercise twice a week and watch my nightime meals I can lose 1lb a week if I don’t then I’ll try to exercise three times a week and see how that goes. The goal of this is to protect goal commitment from reluctance to act (backsliding v. staying on track) GOAL COMMITMENT
GRIT
Difference between goal setting and implementation intentions
Research has shown a strong correlation between Grit (self-control) and higher student GPA (Farrington et al.,2014)
More traditionally, Walter Mischel’s Marshmallow experiments (Mischel & Mischel, 1983) is often cited as evidence of the effect of self-control on academic achievement (SAT scores).
“the ability to take the perspective of and empathize with others from diverse backgrounds, as well as to understand social and ethical norms for behaviour and to recognize family, school and community as sources of support.” (CASEL)
One of the important foundations behind SEL is that these is not knowledge that is necessarily taught rather than skills and abilities that are developed and nurtured in “safe, caring learning environments involving peers and families” (Cook et al 2009 as cited in Farrington)
Because traditional education and teaching in particular take place within a social context, this runs through all aspects
SVC: Student Voice Collaborative was established in 2010 to generate a wave of student led change across NYC public high schools. The identify issues and challenges at their schools at implement changes
includes not only the ability to create and maintain healthy relationships but also refers to the skills needed to do this, such as active listening, gratitude (appreciation), cooperation as well as the abilities to resist inappropriate social pressure negotiating conflict and seeking and offering help.
Because social skills runs through all aspects of learning, it is difficult to determine the exact impact of social skills itself on academic outcome. However, the general view of research and practice is that social skills have an indirect impact on learning by defining classroom behaviour (fewer misbehaviour, more time on task, less emotional distress) and enhance social interactions that promote more effective learning (Vygotsky, 1978; Bandura, 1997 as cited in Farrington, 2014)
THIS IS A FUNDAMENTAL LIFE SKILLS THAT WE WILL USE IN ALL DOMAINS OF LIFE WITH COWORKERS FRIENDS IN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS
the interaction of the previous four competencies culminates in responsible decision making and realized in the following outcomes:
Academic behaviours (e.g. completing class assignments, doing homework, active participation) act as a mediator of cognitive and non cognitive factors that affects grades (Farrington, 2014). An example is a student who has mastered the material but fails to engage in activities is invisible to the teacher.
These outcomes in turn reflect back on and affect cognitive and non-cognitive factors (success breeds success) TRANSACTIONAL LOOP
To address the needs for a globally competitive workforce, policy makers have mandated stricter and more rigorous academic standards. Based on the assumption that test scores reflect student performance, by raising standards, it is hoped that student performance will naturally follow. However, both extensive research and daily practice have shown this to be false (Boykin & Noguera, 2011, p.5, Dweck, Walton & Cohen, 2014, p.2, Farrington et al., 2014, p.3).
Struggling students: Many variables influence adolescent behaviour including academic achievement and peer and familial influence. The immediacy and messages of modern media also plays a large role, communicating quick and shortsighted decision-making, impulsive and violent behaviour as well as emotional dis-regulation (Elias et al., 2008, p248). Unchecked, adolescent engagement in risky behaviours such as violence, substance abuse and precocious sexual activity place our children at risk for psychopathology (Beets et al., 2009, p.1438, Kerig & Ludlow, 2012)
The increased interest in SEL is often met initially with agreement and enthusiasm which then turns into skepticism and arguments of logistical impracticality. However, though competencies can be delivered independently as separate “courses of learning” or even interventions, it is also possible to incorporate SEL into existing curricula as dual-purpose learning (David Levin, KIPP) or in the form of what Doll et al. call micro-changes.
Language plays a critical role in the development of individuals. It is the social medium through which we know and are known. It is also the tool through which we identify and develop who we are. For example, the ability to label and describe emotions is a necessary developmental phase that we all must go through and failure to do can lead to the development of psychopathology (Kerig & Ludlow)
Language and language arts instruction is prime domain in which to help students develop the competencies they will require to succeed at school and in life.
