The significance of social and emotional learning in our current climate

SUNATA 6

Rhea Barber

Acting Head of Year

THE SIGNIFICANCE

of social and emotional learning in our current climate

Young people are facing increasingly uncertain and challenging times. The global coronavirus pandemic has led to a decline in their wellbeing and their ability to cope with stress. The Headspace 2020 National Youth Mental Health Survey, conducted over May and June when much of the country was in lockdown, found that ‘rates of psychological distress remain high among Australian young people, with one in three reporting high or very high levels of distress’ (Headspace 2020). Significantly, the survey found that ‘one in two young people were unable to carry out their daily activities due to a decline in wellbeing, up from two in five in 2018’ (Headspace 2020). Similarly, the Mission Australia 2020 Youth Health Survey surveyed 25,800 young people aged 15 to 19 years. Respondents reported coping with stress and mental health as their top two personal concerns (Mission Australia 2020). There is no better time than now to stress the importance of social and emotional learning (SEL) for our students. It is an integral part of education and students’ development. SEL is the process of acquiring and applying the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities. Students learn to manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals. They learn how to feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions (CASEL 2020). The SEL framework encompasses five core competencies: self-awareness, selfmanagement, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making (CASEL 2020). The framework was developed by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) in 1994. If social and emotional wellbeing is vital for academic success, then SEL must walk alongside the teaching and learning of curriculum content and the pursuit of academic excellence. In this current climate, you could argue that SEL for our adolescent students should be the foundation of our classrooms in secondary schools, with the content driven learning following. The benefits of SEL are significant. Through the process of SEL, students develop greater self-awareness, learn selfcontrol, and improve essential interpersonal skills. Social and emotional competence enables students to cope with everyday challenges and improves learning and wellbeing. SEL develops skills to nurture a positive sense of self, promote respectful relationships, foster academic success, manage emotions, behaviours and interactions with others (NSW Department of Education 2020). Decades of CASEL research indicates improved social and emotional skills in students, improved attitudes, relationships, academic performance, and perceptions of school (CASEL 2020). Research also suggests a decline in students’ anxiety, behaviour issues, and substance use (CASEL 2020). An analysis by Durlak et al. (2011) of 213 studies of SEL in schools indicated that ‘students receiving quality SEL instruction demonstrated better academic performance, improved attitudes and behaviours, greater motivation to learn, deeper commitment to school, increased time devoted to schoolwork, and better classroom behaviour’. There was a decrease in disruptive class behaviour and disciplinary referrals, reduced emotional distress and fewer reports of student depression, anxiety, stress, and social withdrawal. We know these skills are crucial for the healthy growth and development of our students, but have we lost sight of these key competencies and their immense benefits for our older students in our pursuit of academic excellence? SEL is a key component of the Personal and Social Capability in the Australian Curriculum F-10 as students learn to understand themselves and others, and manage their relationships, lives, work and learning more effectively (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA] n.d.). However, the implementation of SEL needs to shift away from an intensive focus in the younger years of schooling and into all areas of a young person’s schooling life, with a renewed focus and vigour in the senior years of schooling. CASEL believes ‘it is most beneficial to integrate SEL throughout the school’s academic curricula and culture, across the broader contexts of school-wide practices and policies, and through ongoing collaboration with families and community organisations.

These coordinated efforts should foster youth voice, agency, and engagement; establish supportive classroom and school climates and approaches to discipline; enhance adult SEL competence; and establish authentic family and community partnerships’ (CASEL 2020). So how can teachers effectively promote or teach SEL in their classrooms? Schools can create an environment that infuses SEL into every part of students’ educational experience and promotes positive social, emotional, and academic outcomes for all students (CASEL 2020). While SEL can be taught explicitly (for example through personal development sessions), it needs to encompass all our interactions in school as the capabilities are about relationships and our interactions with others. Schools could build teacher capacity to promote and teach SEL through professional learning. Teaching practices could create classroom conditions that facilitate and support social and emotional development in students. Students could be encouraged to consider the social and emotional learning of others in daily activities. Schools could include students as agents in their SEL with a conscious selection of students across the entire demographic of the student body to promote and implement effective SEL programs. SEL competencies could be shared and discussed with parents and caregivers at every opportunity and could also be infused into skill development on school camps, sport information sessions, and co-curricular information sessions. School reports could address the SEL competencies. All these initiatives would ensure that SEL competencies are at the forefront of everyone’s minds and provide students with the ability to learn, develop and practise SEL competency. As educators, we need to be mindful of the daily uncertainty, stress and challenges our students are experiencing in this current time. If we neglect to include SEL as a significant part of our daily interactions with our students, we will not be equipped to meet the needs of our students in the future (Walker 2020). SEL can create the conditions needed for individuals and schools to create more inclusive learning environments and reveal and nurture the interests and assets of all individuals (CASEL 2020).

References

ACT Education Directorate (n.d.), Support for Students and Families: Positive Behaviour, Mental Health and Wellbeing Approaches in our schools: Social and Emotional Learning Approaches, viewed 12 April 2021, https://www.education.act.gov.au/support-for-our-students/positivebehaviour-mental-health-and-wellbeing-approaches-in-our-schools/ social-and-emotional-learning-approaches Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (n.d.), Foundation to year 10 curriculum: General capabilities, viewed 12 April 2021, https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/ general-capabilities/personal-and-social-capability/ Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning [CASEL] 2021, viewed 12 April 2021, https://casel.org/ Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning [CASEL] 2020, CASEL SEL Framework, viewed 12 April 2021, https://casel.org/ wp-content/uploads/2020/12/CASEL-SEL-Framework-11.2020.pdf Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning [CASEL] 2018, Respected. Perspectives of Youth on High School & Social and Emotional Learning. A report for CASEL, viewed 12 April 2021, https:// casel.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Respected.pdf Department of Education and Training Victoria n.d., For Schools: Student health and wellbeing: Mental health in schools, viewed 12 April 2021, https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/health/ mentalhealth/Pages/socialemotion.aspx Durlak, JA, Weissberg, RP, Dymnicki, AB, Taylor, RD & Schellinger, K 2011, 'The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis of school-based universal interventions', Child Development, vol. 82, pp. 405-432. Headspace, National Youth and Mental Health Foundation, n.d., Insights: Youth Mental Health and wellbeing over time: headspace National Youth Mental Health Survey 2020, viewed 12 April 2021, https://headspace.org.au/assets/Uploads/Insights-youth-mentalhealth-and-wellbeing-over-time-headspace-National-Youth-MentalHealth-Survey-2020.pdf Mission Australia 2020, Annual Youth Survey, viewed 12 April 2021, https://www.missionaustralia.com.au/what-we-do/research-impactpolicy-advocacy/youth-survey NSW Department of Education 2020, Student Wellbeing: Behaviour and engagement: Student Behaviour: Positive behaviour: Pro-social behaviour: Social-emotional learning, viewed 12 April 2021, https://education.nsw. gov.au/student-wellbeing/attendance-behaviour-and-engagement/ student-behaviour/positive-behaviour/pro-social-behaviour/socialemotional-learning Tsirtsakis, A 2020, 'Pandemic’s mental health impact on young people a "national crisis"', NewsGP Clinical, viewed 12 April 2021, https://www1. racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/pandemic-s-mental-health-impact-onyoung-people-a Walker, T 2020, Social-emotional learning should be a priority during COVID-19, National Education Association, USA.

Support for schools

https://www.aisnsw.edu.au/learning-from-home/wellbeing The AISNSW Wellbeing Portal provides infographics, resources, SEL and Protective Factors factsheets https://beyou.edu.au Has modules in learning resilience, SEL resources, factsheets and professional learning modules https://casel.org/ The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) provides an interactive SEL framework, case studies, and support packages https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzOdB_dsqKjUqG7Cwc3m7Vg CASEL Youtube https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/tools/guidancereports/social-and-emotional-learning/ Six recommendations for improving SEL in Primary Schools https://studentwellbeinghub.edu.au/educators/framework/ The Student Wellbeing hub provides a national student wellbeing framework and additional resources https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/education Has monthly calendars, topics, quizzes, videos https://ggia.berkeley.edu Has a range of teachable actions to support SEL https://mindup.org/about/ A research-based training program for educators and children https://www.morningsidecenter.org Explore classroom resources emphasising social responsibility https://schools.au.reachout.com Explore student, parent and classroom resources https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=kidsmatter +social+and+emotional Social and Emotional Learning videos SUNATA 7