Date
9-17-2026
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Advanced Educational Studies (PhD)
Chair
Mary Strickland
Keywords
SEL, Elementary, Student Behavior, Primary Students
Disciplines
Education
Recommended Citation
Thompson, Nikki, "Influences of a Social Emotional Curriculum on Teachers’ Classroom Experiences: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8909.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8909
Abstract
The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenology was to understand the lived experiences of general education first-grade teachers in Washington State who use social-emotional curricula to mitigate negative student behaviors. The theory guiding this study was Bandura’s social learning theory (SLT) as it pertains to peer-to-peer and peer-to-teacher relationships. The participants in this study were 10-15 elementary classroom teachers in Washington who will incorporate one Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) lesson per week. The teachers followed the MindUP curriculum to incorporate additional activities. The focus was on the lived experiences of first-grade teachers in Washington State who teach SEL to mitigate negative student behavior. Data collection was through individual interviews, focus groups, and journal prompts. The data analysis employed Van Manen’s interpretive method. Coding was used to help develop themes from memos. The three themes identified include: (1) Student Self-Regulation; (2) Teacher Attrition and Well-Being; and (3) School Climate. My interpretations include: (1) Students Need Support With Self-Regulation; (2) Teachers Need Support Too; and (3) School Climate Is Important.
