Date

5-22-2024

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Education in Curriculum & Instruction (EdD)

Chair

Rebecca Bowman

Keywords

Social and Emotional Learning, Title One School

Disciplines

Curriculum and Instruction | Education

Abstract

This phenomenological study aimed to understand teachers' perceptions and attitudes on integrating social and emotional curriculum in a Title One elementary school in the Southeastern United States. The study was designed to explore the research question: What are teachers’ attitudes and perceptions of social and emotional learning? The setting of this study was a rural Title One school in the Southeastern United States. This study used a convenience sampling of 12-15 teachers. The theory guiding the study was Maslow’s hierarchy of needs related to social and emotional learning curriculum and its benefits. Data was collected through surveys, interviews, and focus groups. Each source was analyzed separately through memoing and reflections. The rich and descriptive text from the interviews and focus group was then analyzed for themes. synthesized with horizontalization and put into three common themes. The findings of the study supported the teacher’s motivation to implement an SEL program that they felt was beneficial to their students. The themes derived from the data collection were teacher support of social and emotional learning and the belief that social and emotional learning was advantageous to the student’s academic achievement and future success. However, the study also found that teachers believed they could implement a program if training and resources were available before and during the SEL implementation.

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